Vital Signs - Lighting Design at the Montery Bay Aquarium

		Monterey Bay Aquarium Visual Comfort Study Author: Sylvester Wong School: UC Berkeley Faculty Advisor: Professor Charles C. Benton
		Abstract: Designed by San Francisco architecture firm Esherick, Homsey, Dodge and Davis, the Monterey Bay Aquarium includes a range of exhibits from open pools to specially designed display tanks like the three-story Kelp Forest. Some exhibits require extremely dark environments to properly showcase and care for deep-sea animals, while other exhibits of sea surface or coastal animals must be well-lit or open to the natural sky. The extreme darkness of the aquarium's public corridors raises questions about visual comfort and public safety in these areas. It also presents special problems for visual adaptation and continuity of movement for aquarium visitors.This study attempts to discover how the building creates spaces with low ambient illumination while maintaining easily viewed displays and visual comfort. At the start of the study it was hypothesized that the designers hoped to achieve good lighting conditions by managing the brightness of surfaces in the darker portion of the aquarium and providing smooth, gradual transitions from bright areas to dark areas. To test this hypothesis, illuminance measurements were taken along the path typically followed by aquarium visitors. Two readings were taken at 5'5" height, one during the bright midday and another after twilight. To document views experienced by visitors areas of the aquarium were photographed using a single lens reflex camera with 1600 speed film and no flash.Glare was evaluated through object-based luminance measurements, analyzing the contrast between luminances from objects in a view region. Chuck Caplener, from the aquarium's Engineering Services Department, was intereviewed to learn maintenance issues and areas of complaint, if any, from visitors. The results of the study indicate that for the most part the lighting design is very successful. Extremely low light levels are achieved in some exhibit areas, but visitor safety is not compromised. There are some areas where adaptation to changing light conditions is difficult when moving from one exhibit to another. The study includes suggestions for improvement of the aquarium's lighting design.

All contents copyright (C) 1998. Vital Signs Project. All rights reserved. Created: 11/16/98		http://www-archfp.ced.berkeley.edu/vitalsigns/bld/casestudies/ucb_monterey_ab.html