River reflections: A sensorial experience through lighting design

Waalse Krook City Library and Cultural Center rises in a unique corner of Ghent where a new urban space allows the contemporary building to complement the historic city center and the crook of the River Scheldt. The external lighting was designed to highlight the linear dynamics of the building which rises parallel to the ground up to the top. We did not wish to emphasize all the horizontal lines but rather looked to communicate the essence of the building’s dynamic.

The interior lighting design was conceived as a constructive material following the form of the floor, forming part of the heating platform and the structural core. We adhered to lighting norms, generating a warm uniform overall lighting using 3000ºk recessed LED linear luminaires in the platform. The color temperature was chosen to harmonize with the tones of the iron used in the space and facades. This tonality was reinforced with task lights above the tables and linear LED lighting integrated in the shelving. The lighting design takes into account the unique location of the building and its reflection in the River Scheldt to produce a sensorial image emblematic of the city.