Light matters

Strategies for choosing the right lighting requirements for hospital lobby and waiting area

- RITA DUTTA

Plebeian lobbies and blunt, noisy waiting rooms are of a bygone era.

Today waiting areas serve many functions. The lobby and waiting areas are not necessarily exclusive to the front of the building anymore, but are evolving into destinations for education, engagement, and solace.

Therefore lighting requirement for the area is not a specific kind but a blend of ambient, task and accent lighting. Says Rang Emei, founder, Helix Architecture, “The quality and characteristics of interior environment lighting, especially in the arrival lobby / public waiting area, is often a subtle reflection of an organisation’s values and ethos. Lighting affects human behaviour in many ways. It is necessary to first be cognizant of the functional purpose of a space. Lighting design must support the achievement of such a purpose.”

Besides basic functional lighting which supports the performance of specific tasks, the overarching objective of good lighting is ultimately sensory ‘comfort’. According to experts, the primary purpose of the lighting concept in an entrance area is to lighten up the mood of people entering a hospital, enhance a welcoming ambience while making it easier for people to find their bearings. Lighting here should emphasise points of interest such as reception desks, signage and onward routes. Lobby including enquiry and patient reception, should make the patient and visitor feel welcome and provide both staff and visitors with good facial modelling through good vertical illuminance.