Fiber Optic Lighting Design using Sunlight

 

Inspired by the magical quality of beams of light shining down through an opening in a cave, this design gives the experience of sunlight streaming into a space that is normally untouched by the sun.

 

Fiber Optics: Linking Exterior to Interior

 

The fiber optics provide a glimpse into the quality of light in the exterior, allowing a viewer in an interior environment to experience and observe changes in natural light.

Through small points of light, little bits of information are transmitted from the exterior to the interior, linking the interior to the fluctuations of the natural environment.

Final Design

 

Sunlight is collected on the roof and then focused onto the ends of the fiber optic cables. The fibers, carrying sunlight, travel down through the roof to the ceiling like electrical wires, entering the interior space through a recessed fixture in the ceiling. As if a hole has been cut to reveal the sky, the fibers stream in through this recess carrying sunlight all the way to just above the floor and then the light is released through the end of the fibers. Like catching a glimpse of beams of sunlight caught in dusty air, some light is allowed to leak out through the sides of the fibers to give a hint at the light that is traveling through them. 

The most powerful light is reflected from the ends of the fibers off the floor piece and back up to the viewer through the transparent dish holding the fibers in place. The convex shape of the dish creates lens effect when viewed from above, magnifying the light reflected off the floor.