18 behind the wall
Light and shadow on the wALL 19
19
An architect Steven Hall is a master of chapping spaces with shadow and light. While designing the museum of the City in Cassino, Italy, architect Steven Hall attempts to design the light by building physical models. “Light should be modeled full size as it falls off the wall at the square of its distance to the source.” 19 Each exhibition space is neutral space defined by plain walls and characterized through its particular quality of light. The light depends on the openings (the size and form) in the walls or ceilings and spaces between them. Light changes and describes form; it also has “essences that transcend specific meanings and purposes. Language becomes a form of light while light becomes language.”13 It slides through the walls eliminating and shaping them. Space surrounded with such a wall becomes dreamlike. Also, the dim lighting and dark shadows in the corners and around the edges stimulates one’s imagination and daydreaming
Illlustration 19_ Museum of the City in Cassino, Italy. Photograph by Steven Holl. In: Holl, Steven, Parallax, New York, NY: Princeton Architectural Press, 2007, Pg. 118, 119) Museo Cassino, Key to the score: C – curve shaped light I - linear light Cl – curved and linear light clS – curved and linear light with superimposed slides sl.dr – curved and linear light with dropped ceilings cl.md – curved and linear light with round sli