Toilets
The author describes many of the temple toilets in Kyoto and Nara, and in his opinion the traditional Japanese toilets carry a sense of elegance. I had rarely noticed the lighting arrangement of toilets, such a small space that turns out to play a very important role in our lives, and after I read the author’s descriptions I gained a deeper understanding of Japanese toilets. I have been to Nara and Kyo in Japan, but most of the public toilets I used during my travels had been ‘modernised’, with clean tiles on all four walls, and toilets and other sanitary ware mostly in bright colours, but unfortunately I did not experience the temple toilets in the author’s description. From the author’s point of view, it is difficult to enjoy the physical pleasure of using a space that is overly lit and then overly bright, with snowy white walls on all sides. He likes Japanese toilets with a view of the blue sky and green leaves. Such toilets give a sense of nature and the less bright natural light makes everything wrapped in a thin, dark, shimmering light, and such an environment can blur the boundaries of space. I tried to get a better understanding of the author’s toilets by searching the internet for more images to get a feel for them.
I also tried to explore some ‘new designs’ with these traditional light features, with images from a design office in Kyoto, Japan. The designers have cleverly used the walls to allow light to shine weakly through the space by scattering it, the light being hidden behind a new ‘paper’ like material, which has a distinctive flavour.
Electric Light
The author believes that while introducing the products of advanced civilisation, it is important to take into account the habits and preferences of the local people and make them more localised. He mentions the popular Japanese pedestal lamp, which reproduces the softness and warmth of the traditional ‘paper lamp’. The influence of the light is particularly important in the case and shade of the lamp, which blends with the colour of the piping to give it a richer feel.
Textures and reflections
The author compares the texture of Western paper, which is extremely white and reflective, with that of Chinese paper, which is soft and dense and softens the light. In the book, the author mentions that the Japanese prefer to use shiny tableware that has lost its shine, has a contemporary feel and has become darker than the shiny tableware used in the West. The author also mentions the Chinese and oriental preference for antique colours, where something less reflective and shiny has a deep and heavy feel to it. This has given me some inspiration in my lighting design. Different materials have different diffuse reflections on the light, and in our design process, we should not only consider the light factor but also what kind of material surface the light is shining on, what texture and colour of the material should be used to reflect the light, producing different effects and giving people a feeling of what kind of feeling.
Come up with a question:
Whenever we talk about oriental architecture, we can often see the case of Japanese architecture, why are we rarely seen the case of ancient Chinese architecture? How did ancient Chinese architecture make use of natural light? I try to find answers on the web and in books.
From the perspective of feng shui ethics, the ancients always paid attention to the “bright hall and dark room”. The living room is a place to receive guests, and it is also a place where family members often get together. It is more suitable for bright and cheerful, while the bedroom is a place to rest, which is of course suitable for softer light.
In addition, in the feudal society, the feudal system is very strict, and you have to work in the room and meet guests… In ancient times, life was simple, and the requirements for light were not as strong, and the requirements for luminosity were not as high. If the lights are only oil lamps at night, of course, the light will not be bright enough, and you cannot read and write at night. This is because different times have different requirements for luminosity. This fully shows that social progress, people’s requirements for luminosity have been greatly improved. There are some Chinese people who don’t want the room to be so bright when they live at home. The light in the house is weaker, which is easier for people to sleep and rest comfortably. They feel more comfortable in this way.
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