Light and materiality

On 13 July 2023 we held the workshop ‘Light and materiality’ in the Materioteca at Matter Barcelona, co-organised with the Retail Design Institute Spain and led by the architect and lighting designer Gisela Steiger. The workshop brought together twelve invited professionals from architecture and interior design studios.

The starting question was how artificial lighting can visually enhance or distort a colour or a material in a space. We summarise the main ideas of the session, the studios that took part and a technical reference for bringing these concepts into a project.

RETAIL WORKSHOP: LUZ Y MATERIALIDAD0:31

How artificial light changes a colour or a material

During the workshop we explored tools to ensure that artificial lighting enhances a colour or a material rather than distorting it. The session went into three key concepts —colour temperature, colour rendering index and the composition of the light spectrum—, addressed the importance of choosing the right optics and shared several case studies.

• Colour temperature: the tone of white light, from warmer to cooler, expressed in kelvin (K).
• Colour rendering index (CRI or Ra): measures how faithfully a light source reproduces colours compared with a reference source; the maximum value is 100.
• Spectral composition: how the emitted light is distributed across the different wavelengths. Colour rendering depends on this, not on the colour temperature itself.
• Optics: the system within the luminaire that directs and distributes the light beam, and that determines what is lit and how.

Providing light is not lighting

The workshop was led by Gisela Steiger, an architect and lighting designer with a master's degree in Architectural Lighting Design from the UPC, who gave a training session on lighting in retail spaces focused on the role it plays in the perception of a space and its materiality. Light was discussed as a powerful tool for enhancing a project and creating a memorable experience for customers.

Emphasis was placed on the difference between simply ‘providing light’ and ‘lighting’: lighting involves a design strategy to achieve the perception intended by the designer and to create the desired atmosphere for users.

“Lighting is fundamental to generating sales and expectations and to improving the customer experience.”

— Gisela Steiger

Less light, more intention

Participants were encouraged to lose their fear of low light levels and to avoid over-lighting, since excessive lighting can ruin the intention and the experience of a project.

Colour temperature and materials: a practical reference

As a complement to what was covered in the workshop, the lighting manufacturer ERCO publishes an indicative guide to which colour temperature suits each family of materials. It is a useful starting point before testing real samples under the light planned for the project.

ERCO also points out that colour rendering depends on the spectral composition of the light and not on its colour temperature. That is why it is advisable also to check the colour rendering index of the luminaires and to validate the materials under the final light.

Participating studios

The workshop was attended by architecture and interior design studios and professionals, including Singular Shop, MMMU, Beige Studio (Berta Martí), Intsight, Genialidades, Ferruz, Maria Colmenero, G4 Group (Marc Ros), OB Studio and Ujo Studio. An excellent group of professionals keen to bring added value to their projects.

Light as a design tool

The Retail Workshop ‘Light and materiality’ was a valuable opportunity to explore light in depth as a powerful, strategic tool that requires a design approach to achieve striking and attractive results. Appropriate lighting is a key factor in achieving successful retail projects and creating spaces that give customers a positive experience.

The workshop was organised together with the Retail Design Institute Spain, the Spanish chapter of the Retail Design Institute, a non-profit organisation founded in 1961 that brings together creative professionals in retail design.