By now you should be more attuned to the ways light and shade have been used in architecture and landscapes both for functional means and for symbolic effect. Specifically, the two primary benefits of clerestories—admitting light from above, and movement of fresh air—are what originally made it valuable, and it has since evolved into a key element of architectural integration.

By now you should be more attuned to the ways light and shade have been

used in architecture and landscapes both for functional means and for

symbolic effect. Specifically, the two primary benefits of

clerestories—admitting light from above, and movement of fresh air—are what

originally made it valuable, and it has since evolved into a key element of

architectural integration.

Symbolically, light pouring down from above was a useful expression for most

sacred cultures; spirits, deities, heavens, etc. were believed to be in an upper

realm according to many cosmologies, and the light coming down from that

realm and illuminating the darkness of our mortal world emphasized the

experience of sacred architectures. Once fenestration (building openings) was

filled with glass, the clerestory took on another dimension of symbolic

expression in the form of window shapes, the shadows they cast, and the

colored (stained) art in the glass itself. Landscape design has utilized

topography and all sizes of planted elements to further sculpt light and

shadow, blurring the lines between inside and outside while transforming and

ordering our paths through each.

Continue to ask good questions of the clerestory architectures in this module:

● What are the effects to the lighting of the interior? Can light have form?

● What are the effects to the movement of air? Why does air need to

move?

● Can a clerestory embellish spiritual or sacred symbolism?

● What materials and structural techniques were used to achieve the

sculpting of light and shadow?

● How is light and shadow used in outdoor spaces?

● Which techniques for the sculpting of light and shade do architecture

and landscape architecture share?

Module Coursework Complete all items in any Graded Coursework, Other Activities, and Quizzes

and Exams areas included in this module.