Lighting guide for museums and galleries

The Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) has launched the new edition of ‘Lighting Guide 8: Lighting for Museums and Galleries’. Written by lighting designer Mark Sutton Vane, this revision replaces the 2015 edition of the guide.

The guide tackles the most significant changes and developments in lighting technology, new legislation, controls protocols and developments in research relating to conservation.

Written in a time of unprecedented change in lighting, the guide focuses on the development of LED technology, along with the ‘Internet of Things’, in relation to their application in the museum and art gallery setting.

The guide also considers the constraints managers must deal with, including the need to minimise energy use and adhere to new legislation and Building Regulations.

The presence of sensitive materials that can be damaged by light introduces another range of challenges not normally encountered in general lighting practice. This guide aims to provide assistance with the identification of these issues and their reconciliation in the design and management of buildings.

Consideration of controlling light exposure is an issue that sets this guide apart from other Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) published guidance, which generally covers lighting for task performance and the overall appearance.

The guide can be downloaded on the CIBSE website.