Adequate general lighting facilitates orientation and makes an entrance hall a safe "communication route". This lighting can be provided by several individual surface-mounted or recessed ceiling luminaires or luminaires and spots on wire and rod or power track systems In large halls, in particular, supplementary task lighting is essential, at least for mirrors and coat racks. Lighting accents provided by illuminated pictures, etc., enliven the atmosphere of the room.
The brilliant warm-white light cast by 230 Volt or low-voltage tungsten-halogen lamps is a popular choice. Aside from general service lamps, alternatives are energy-saving lamps or compact fluorescent lamps. Hall stand lighting - Uniform illumination of coat rack and cupboards saves us having to search for the jacket or coat we want. Coat rack lighting is usually part of the general lighting provided by surface-mounted ceiling luminaires, recessed ceiling luminaires or wide-angled spots mounted on wire and rod or power track systems. For smallish coat racks wall luminaires mounted on the left and right above shoulder height are an alternative.
Luminaires which are integrated in a coat rack do not normally furnish enough light but they can be an attractive adjunct to the general lighting. Where luminaires are recessed in or mounted on wooden surfaces, it is important to ensure that they display the fire protection symbol. Mirror lighting - The visual task performed at a mirror requires soft, low-glare lighting. Wall luminaires mounted on each side of the mirror and shielded in the viewer's direction are the most suitable option here. The person at the mirror - but not the mirror itself - should be illuminated from both left and right by supplementary light from above.
Where it is not possible to use wall luminaires, a mirror with integrated luminaires is the alternative. If surface-mounted ceiling luminaires, recessed ceiling luminaires or spots are selected, they need to be properly positioned, e.g. angled so that light is directed onto the wall to the left and right of the mirror.
Accent lighting
The atmosphere of any room is enlivened by accentuating light - and entrance halls are no exception. Narrow beams of light for selective spotlighting and/or wide-angled floods for the planar illumination of pictures or wall sections have the desired effect. Other accent lighting options are picture lights and illuminated showcases and shelving systems.
Illuminated walls and a dark ceiling impact considerably on spatial impression, making a high-ceilinged room look lower. Conversely, to make a low entrance hall look higher, the answer is to provide a large number of points of light - e.g. recessed downlights - on the ceiling. Incidentally, long narrow halls look shorter when lit by elongated luminaires or lighting systems mounted crossways and the spatial impression made by very small halls can be altered for the better by round luminaires.
Staircase lighting
Indoors or out, staircases present a heightened risk of accident. And where accidents on staircases occur, they are often put down to carelessness. In many cases, however, what is really to blame is poor lighting: the stairs are too dark, or glare or confusing shadows are created by light from general-diffuse or wrongly positioned and angled luminaires. Where the visual task is impeded like this, incorrect lighting can lead to misjudgement at any step - with potentially calamitous consequences.
It is generally more dangerous to fall down stairs than to trip on the way up. So for correct lighting, it is particularly important to make sure each individual tread is clearly discernible from above. Illumination from the top landing also ensures that both the top and the bottom of the staircase are clearly visible.
All staircases should be illuminated as a matter of principle. For simple steps and staircases with less than four treads, ambient lighting may provide adequate illumination. An even better solution, however, is to use orientation lights to highlight treads.
