MDL- 4
Introduction INTRODUCTION
It can be easy to forget that light (and shadow) are substantial elements in the built environment, not unlike wood or stone. Not only does light serve the more utilitarian functions of letting us see what we’re doing and warming a space, but it also performs symbolically to condition meaningful experiences. This module is about some of the ways light and shadow have been used in the built environment. The sites you will see come from an array of places and times in history, so be sure to remain aware of the historical context and keep your attention on the use of light and shade, even if it is not always covered in detail.
A fundamental architectural strategy for admitting light is the clerestory. A clerestory (also spelled clearstory) is an empty volume of space in an upper level of a structure. It is literally a cleared story (floor) of a building; it is helpful to think of it as a removed floor, since that is what allows light and air to pass to other lower stories. These two primary benefits—admitting light from above, and movement of fresh air—are what originally made the clerestory valuable, and it has since evolved into a key element of architectural integration.
As you will see in this module, before the invention of glass panels, the clerestory was as much a function of natural ventilation as it was of natural light. 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 places. 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. By the time of Gothic architecture in the 13th and 14th centuries CE, clerestories were polychromatic interfaces rendering the light of the sun a kaleidoscopic burst, turning the stone interiors of churches into
colorful theaters for both worship and public gathering. Furthermore, landscape environments have utilized a variety of different strategies to achieve similar effects while using natural features, such as arcades of tree canopies shading a path in a garden.
Be curious and ask good questions of the uses of light and shade 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 Learning Objectives Explore a diverse range of clerestory architectures across
cultures, places, and times. Articulate the benefits of clerestories as seen in different
locations. Articulate material and structural strategies employed for
clerestory construction. Compare different sacred symbolisms for clerestory
architectures.
Readings A Global History of Architecture, 38–40, 64–69, 367,
441–444 World Architecture, 52–53 (section 2.2), 357–364 (section
9.2)
Module Coursework Read and view all module content and media in the pages
that follow. Complete all items in any Graded Coursework, Other
Activities, and Quizzes and Exams areas included in this module.
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