ZEMCH 2019 International Conference Proceedings April.2020 | Page 353
Figure 3. Johnson Wax’s office space is
provided with zenith daylighting
through tubular glass surfaces [12].
Figure 4. Johnson Waxʹs laboratory spaces,
enjoy large surfaces of tubular glazing with
possibility of control by the users [14].
Unlike his fellow Modernists, Alvar Aalto operated under a more stringent climatic environment.
Therefore, most of his buildings have been translated by a careful consideration for sunlight and
daylight [3]. This interest goes beyond intuition and creativity and intentionally borrows from scientific
experimental work, particularly that of models simulation [15] as for Aalto, architecture is a
combination and integration of various techniques [16]. Contrast and various light gradients are
evident characters of his interiors. Sarfati [17] speaks about the interior ambience of Imatra Church by
describing the hot interior light welcoming people after having been exposed to the brilliant whiteness
of the church walls under the snow outside (Figure 5). Aaltoʹs libraries reveal that he was successful in
eliminating any glare or visual discomfort through the use of various design solutions [18,19,5,17,8,20].
However, it is important to indicate that: i) most of his buildings are in overcast sky regions, and ii)
they were designed in an era of inexpensive energy consumption [15]. This could explain the nearly
quasi‐systematic recourse to the artificial lighting as a more than a complementary source to daylight.
These artificial lighting apertures were replaced by new and more efficient ones perhaps as a response
to the usersʹ request and/or to recent building standards [21].
Figure 5. The contrast between the outside cold natural light and the warm one inside the building was
one of the signs used by Aalto in his architecture: example of the church of Imatra [7] .
The Relationships between Users and Daylighting Design in the 20th Century
Architectural Practice
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