d’uso piuttosto che su quello di scambio,
introducendo operativamente il secondo
principio della termodinamica letto per mezzo
della neg-entropia, ovvero del contenuto
informativo dei segnali luminosi. Questo
ha comportato la messa a punto di una
sperimentazione e monitoraggio ambientale
in riferimento continuo al contenuto
informazionale e relazionale che la luce può
trasportare (comunicare). L’analisi dei dati
sperimentali misurati è stata condotta
considerando non solo il rispetto dei valori limite
(la quantità di luce) suggeriti dagli standard
attuali, anche in merito alla tutela e
conservazione preventiva, ma anche in termini
di finitezza del flusso neghentropico utilizzabile
(la qualità della luce), derivante dal Sole e dal
Cielo e da altre fonti di luce artificiale, fattori
entrambi necessari per la ricostruzione filologica
e la riconfigurazione architettonica dello spazio
interno di una chiesa, oggi biblioteca
universitaria. Lo studio della luce e
dell’illuminazione allo stato di fatto è stato
importante, impegnativo e complesso, ma ha
permesso di individuare i contenuti informativi,
i segnali appunto, le criticità, gli elementi
e i caratteri storici e filologici. Progettare la luce
e con la luce significa trasmettere informazione,
comunicare, valorizzare, rendere fruibile
lo spazio, recuperandone la memoria storica,
ri-vedere, ri-leggere, re-interpretare,
ri-configurare e ri-trasmettere questo stesso
spazio con gli “occhi” del sapere e del pensiero
scientifico che oggi ci possiamo permettere.
Ringraziamenti
Gli autori ringraziano la Dott.ssa Simonetta
Pagnini, Direttore della Biblioteca di Santa
Marta, il Dott. Paolo Baldi e tutto il loro staff
per la collaborazione e disponibilità; il Dott.
Luca Fibbi del Centro LAMMA CNR IBIMET
di Firenze per aver fornito tutti i dati climatici
necessari a questo studio; l’Ing. Massimo
D’Alessandro dell’Elettrotecnica Nocentini srl
per aver fornito indicazioni tecniche sui corpi
illuminanti presenti.
Lighting for
a philological reconstruction
and architectural
reconfiguration of space
The Library of Santa Marta, Florence
T
he subject of light is wide, and encompasses
life, work, health, the function of space and
that of the historical buildings, the latter often
belonging to the Cultural Heritage. Moreover,
it is linked to strong and complex symbolic,
historical and cultural meanings with both
social, educational, economic, political,
and energetic values and implications.
Through this research, we developed an
environmental experimentation and monitoring
method in constant reference to the information
content that light can deliver. The analysis of the
measured experimental data was carried out
considering not only the compliance with the
limit values (the amount of light) suggested
by the current standards, also regarding the
protection and preventive conservation, but also
the respect to the finiteness of the usable
negentropy flow (the quality of light), coming
from the Sun and the Sky and from other sources
of artificial light, both necessary for the
philological reconstruction and the architectural
reconfiguration of the internal space of a church,
which is today a university library, known as the
Santa Marta Library in Florence. The study of the
present state of the natural light and of the
lighting was extensive, demanding and complex,
but it allowed us to identify the information
contents, or the signals, and the critical points,
as well as the historical and philological
elements and characters that the light,
interpreted and read as a signal transmission
channel, can transfer and communicate.
Figura 5. Veduta della cappella del seminario minore. Archivio Alinari, attuale Biblioteca
di Santa Marta / View of the Minor Seminary Chapel. Alinari Archive, currently Santa Marta Library
26
LUCE 328 / RICERCA E INNOVAZIONE
Introduction
To think about the lighting for a library
is a complex but intriguing task. Especially
when it comes to historical and cult buildings,
such as the Santa Marta Library at the School
of Engineering of the University of Florence,
where the light was, and still is, designed
for an ecclesia (from Latin, in the meaning
of assembly), or a community of scholars
and researchers, but also simply of readers.
So our case study was about an environment
transmitting information and culture, through
advanced media and technologies, but located
inside a building of historical and artistic
value, specifically within a church.
Here we had one of the many examples of
spaces within historic buildings converted into
other uses, compared to their original functions,
both in terms of practical use and distribution,
whereby also the lighting (especially with
natural light) was conceived, designed and
controlled for purposes that were diametrically
opposed to those that are required today.
In addition, the library as a space and in its use,
as much as the very same reading practices,
have undergone a transformation, and at the
same time almost all scholars have nowadays
replaced their notebook or brogliaccio
(an ancient Italian word for blotter) with
a laptop, causing a consequent need for
a reading station wider than in the past,
where they can, however, also consult texts,
manuals, and the rest of the necessary supports
for study and research. There are stations
on place from which you may do research
and besides consult the literature and
bibliography directly online.
These are spaces, areas, and paths within
a Cultural Heritage Church that has retained
both its shape and structure, but has seen
its functions and use transformed. Thus, they
required an in-depth study of a specific lighting,
because aimed at defining quality lighting
solutions with information content, to restore
historical, architectural, and cultural value
and significance to the environment.
Materials and Method
The first crucial step of the methodological
approach we proposed was the environmental
experimentation and monitoring, in constant
reference to the information content that light
can carry. The analysis of the environment
and the definition of a measurement protocol
were closely linked to the historical research
and to the philological reconstruction
and architectural reconfiguration of the internal
space of the church, today a university library
(Fig.1). The data and information collection
was fundamental: