Light that respects people

Light is the least material of architecture's materials, and yet it can change almost everything. The colour of stone, the grain of wood, the depth of stucco, the mood of a room and the way a person feels in it. In development, it is still too often decided at the very end – by choosing a decorative fitting and a colour temperature. Hynek Medřický, however, raises a far more important question: what does light do to a person over the course of the whole day?

It is not only about being able to see

Medřický has devoted himself to light for more than a quarter of a century. His work brings together lighting design, chronobiology and practical experience with interiors. He is one of the advocates of biodynamic and pro-cognitive lighting, and he is also behind the development of the Vitae bulb and Spectrasol lighting. His approach is easy to grasp: in the morning and during the day we need different light from that of the evening and the night. The body does not perceive light only through the eyes, as an image. It also reads it as information about time.

This is precisely where a considered lighting concept parts ways with a catalogue list of fittings. It is not enough to look at wattage or the aesthetics of the object. What matters is the spectrum, colour rendering, the direction of the light, the use of reflection and the control of glare. During the day, light should support alertness and concentration. In the evening, by contrast, it should recede, soften and help the body move into a state of rest.

“In the evening you don't necessarily have to switch on all the main lights. The ambient backlighting of the curtain niche, which is part of the apartments' standard specification, is enough – perhaps with one beautiful design lamp from Lavish Vintage studio to complete a genuine and stylish home,” says Karin Svoboda with a smile.

Vinorum 1905: history in the right light

At the Vinorum 1905 Residence, we do not want light to drown out the architecture of a house from 1905. It should reveal its layers: the delicate modelling of the stucco, the warm tone of the wood, the brass details, the art and the natural colours of the materials. At the same time, it must offer people today a comfort that historic interiors never originally knew.

That is why we think of lighting as a script for the day, not as a single unchanging scene. In the morning and while working it can be brighter and more active, whereas in the evening the light should soften, move lower and allow the body to settle into rest. A well-designed system should not complicate life. Its intelligence shows in the fact that people use it intuitively.

Smart Development: light as part of the standard

In Vertex Group's Smart Development concept, light is therefore not an accessory bought later. Built into the apartments' standard specification are spotlights whose colour temperature can be adjusted to the time of day and personal preference. As a calm, neutral base we recommend 3000 K; in the backlit ambient curtain niches and in the bathrooms we work with a lower luminous flux. The result is a soft layer of light that does not force you to switch on the main ceiling lighting in the evening, and helps both the space and the person to slow down.

Every client also receives a lighting map of their apartment in the accompanying presentation. It is not merely a layout of light points, but a practical guide to working with individual scenes, the lighting of art, mirrors and materials, and the evening atmosphere. Vertex Group also offers clients two hours of individual consultation with a designer devoted to the lighting design. The consultation helps to align the architecture of the apartment with the specific paintings, furniture, mirrors and daily habits of its future residents.

Expertise that changes the way we think

What I admire in Hynek Medřický's work is his ability to explain complex biological connections without unnecessary scientific grandstanding, and to translate them into a specific space. His expertise is an important inspiration for our development projects: it helps us to see light not as decoration, but as part of healthy and cultivated living.

A good interior can look perfect in a photograph. A truly good home, however, has to work in the morning, on a grey afternoon, while working, at dinner and at the moment the house is settling down to sleep. That is when the difference between effect and care becomes apparent. According to Hynek Medřický, light is not the final full stop of a project. It is one of its fundamental layers.

Vertex glossary

Circadian rhythm

The body's internal biological rhythm, a cycle of roughly twenty-four hours, which helps to regulate sleep, wakefulness and other processes in the organism. Light is one of its strongest time cues.

Biodynamic lighting

Lighting that changes its properties over the course of the day so as to better match the natural rhythm of daylight and human needs.

Hynek Medřický

Artemide & Vitae Light, Sázavská 32, Prague 2 – Vinohrady

www.medricky.cz