27 Oct 2025
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Facade lighting – a building's showcase
Why Does a Facade Need Light?
The facade is the building's calling card – it's like a first impression when meeting face to face. During the day, it reveals the character of the building, but at night, it can transform into a true spectacle of forms and shapes. This is thanks to the light, which highlights the details, giving the structure a completely new appearance.
Facade lighting ensures that a seemingly unremarkable building can entirely change its visual identity. Well-chosen light accentuates proportions while not disturbing the perception of the surroundings. In the case of historical buildings, illumination restores their past glory. In modern architecture, it serves as a stylish accent, emphasizing the minimalism and simplicity of contemporary forms.
Techniques and Visual Effects
Light today offers not only inspiration but also numerous design possibilities. Designers employ various techniques: uplighting (light directed upwards), downlighting (from top to bottom), and point-specific uplighting. Each method captures different details, ultimately creating a wholly different impression.
Increasingly, RGBW lighting is also utilised, allowing the facade colours to change through a selected light hue. However, moderation is key here: too intense and it blinds passersby and pollutes the sky; too weak and it fails to fulfil its aesthetic purpose.
Facade lighting should also meet energy efficiency and durability standards. This way, it contributes to creating eco-friendly, sustainable spaces in the spirit of a smart city.
