2024 - ShadowLink
Category
Daylight in Buildings - Region 2: Eastern Europe and The Middle East
Students
Karol Gołas, Szymon Wolny, Szymon Wolny, Miłosz Gochowski & Magdalena Mazurek
Teacher
Natalia Sokół
School
Politechnika Gdańska
Country
Poland
Idea: Creating a system to enhance the visual quality of underground passages by providing daylight access and incorporating art.
Problems to solve:
- Uncanny feelings of enclosed space
- Poor aesthetic value
- Artificial lighting issues (even spread, flickering, uniform light temperature)
- Feeling of insecurity
Our response: The system introduces daylight-lit walls displaying silhouettes of familiar surface objects as natural “shadows.” Apertures can also show animations, such as public transport arrival times, weather forecasts, or clocks. Daylight tunnels will distribute light evenly through semi-transparent walls, minimizing glare. When sunlight is insufficient, artificial light supplements it, reducing reliance on unnatural sources and saving electricity.
The problem of artificial lighting will be solved by using daylight tunnels, which capture light and spread it evenly on a semi-transparent wall of apertures, illuminating the tunnel without causing inconvenient glare. When sunlight levels are too low to light the space even to 50 lux, artificial light gets involved. This solution limits the usage of unnatural lighting sources to a minimum, saving electricity.
The design is highly durable and easy to repair. Vulnerable components are in sturdy, accessible locations. Artificial light sources are behind openable covers for quick repairs. Apertures are modular, allowing individual replacements without compromising the structure.
A common problem nowadays is artificial lighting with a certain, unchangeable light temperature. Artificial lighting will mimic natural light temperature changes to enhance user well-being.
Art Inspiration: Our design is inspired by “Aperture” by Frederic Eyl and Gunnar Green, which uses apertures to project bright silhouettes, creating a dynamic facade. In our system, we invert this concept: dark silhouettes appear on a brightly lit wall, mimicking natural shadows. This approach brings a connection of the surface world into underground spaces, enhancing both aesthetics and user experience.
