DAYLIGHTING SYSTEM-DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY-ART IN CHICAGO

This paper examines the application of daylighting in the Museum of Co ntemporary Art (MCA) in Chicago. Daylighted museums require building d esigns with more complex control systems because of a liability for th e care of art collections and the obligation to effectively present ar twork to the public on a regular schedule. The lighting of artwork, th erefore, is an issue of great importance to curators, designers, and a rchitects. This paper discusses implications for use of daylight in ex hibit areas with respect the illuminance, luminance, and spectral vari ation of daylight during the day. The effects of daylight intensity, d uration, and spectrum on design of an art gallery with automatic contr ols are presented. Different methods of calculation of relative spectr al object responsivity for determining the color change to the art wor ks with different materials are estimated. Architectural solutions and evaluation techniques using a luminance scanning system are introduce d to show that daylight can be safely applied as a dynamic light sourc e in museum design. Recommendations are given to prevent spectral dama ge (color change) for the illumination of light-sensitive materials.