Optimizing Daylighting in Museum Exhibition Spaces: Balancing Artifact Preservation, Spatial Ambience, and Visitor Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1013-4986Keywords:
Museum, Illuminance, Daylight Performance, Spatial Contrast, Layout DesignAbstract
Museum daylighting design requires a careful balance between artifact preservation and the creation of visually engaging environments for visitors. Existing daylight performance assessments in museums are largely focused on illuminance limits and exposure thresholds aimed at minimizing light-induced deterioration of sensitive collections. Consequently, limited attention has been given to the influence of exhibition layout and visitors' perception of the luminous environment. Furthermore, conventional daylight metrics typically evaluate lighting conditions at the scale of the entire space, often overlooking the spatial distribution of daylight and the potential for localized overexposure in areas containing sensitive artifacts. Recent advances in daylight assessment have introduced qualitative metrics based on spatial contrast, enabling evaluation of the visual character of luminous environments in terms of excitement, stimulation, and calmness. Building on these developments, this study considers both the quantitative aspects of museum daylighting, including illuminance levels, daylight distribution, and exposure duration, and the qualitative aspects associated with spatial contrast and visual ambience. A simplified daylighting design workflow is proposed to support artifact preservation while enhancing visitor experience in museum spaces. The approach incorporates exhibition layout considerations and introduces façade pixelation as a strategy for generating controlled, randomly distributed openings that increase spatial contrast and visual interest while limiting excessive daylight penetration. By explicitly accounting for artifact location and sensitivity, the proposed workflow addresses the limitations of conventional daylight metrics based on spatial averaging and provides a practical framework for integrating daylight into museums in a sustainable and conservation-sensitive manner.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Abubakar Abdullahi, Uma Helen Emmanuel, Abubakar Jari Tukur
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