MDL- 4
Introduction
INTRODUCTION
It can be easy to forget that light (and shadow) are substantial
elements in the built environment, not unlike wood or stone. Not
only does light serve the more utilitarian functions of letting us
see what we’re doing and warming a space, but it also performs
symbolically to condition meaningful experiences. This module is
about some of the ways light and shadow have been used in the
built environment. The sites you will see come from an array of
places and times in history, so be sure to remain aware of the
historical context and keep your attention on the use of light and
shade, even if it is not always covered in detail.
A fundamental architectural strategy for admitting light is the
clerestory. A clerestory (also spelled clearstory) is an empty
volume of space in an upper level of a structure. It is literally a
cleared story (floor) of a building; it is helpful to think of it as a
removed floor, since that is what allows light and air to pass to
other lower stories. These two primary benefits—admitting light
from above, and movement of fresh air—are what originally
made the clerestory valuable, and it has since evolved into a key
element of architectural integration.
As you will see in this module, before the invention of glass
panels, the clerestory was as much a function of natural
ventilation as it was of natural light. Symbolically, light pouring
down from above was a useful expression for most sacred
cultures; spirits, deities, heavens, etc. were believed to be in an
upper realm according to many cosmologies, and the light
coming down from that realm and illuminating the darkness of
our mortal world emphasized the experience of sacred places.
Once fenestration (building openings) was filled with glass, the
clerestory took on another dimension of symbolic expression in
the form of window shapes, the shadows they cast, and the
colored (stained) art in the glass itself. By the time of Gothic
architecture in the 13th and 14th centuries CE, clerestories were
polychromatic interfaces rendering the light of the sun a
kaleidoscopic burst, turning the stone interiors of churches into
colorful theaters for both worship and public gathering.
Furthermore, landscape environments have utilized a variety of
different strategies to achieve similar effects while using natural
features, such as arcades of tree canopies shading a path in a
garden.
Be curious and ask good questions of the uses of light and
shade in this module:
● What are the effects to the lighting of the interior? Can
light have form?
● What are the effects to the movement of air? Why does
air need to move?
● Can a clerestory embellish spiritual or sacred symbolism?
● What materials and structural techniques were used to
achieve the sculpting of light and shadow?
● How is light and shadow used in outdoor spaces?
● Which techniques for the sculpting of light and shade do
architecture and landscape architecture share?
Module Learning Objectives
● Explore a diverse range of clerestory architectures across
cultures, places, and times.
● Articulate the benefits of clerestories as seen in different
locations.
● Articulate material and structural strategies employed for
clerestory construction.
● Compare different sacred symbolisms for clerestory
architectures.
Readings
● A Global History of Architecture, 38–40, 64–69, 367,
441–444
● World Architecture, 52–53 (section 2.2), 357–364 (section
9.2)
Module Coursework
● Read and view all module content and media in the pages
that follow.
● Complete all items in any Graded Coursework, Other
Activities, and Quizzes and Exams areas included in this
module.
