For example, a chain of Pilates studios in Southern California uses luminous ceiling illumination exclusively in their workout rooms. Exercisers lying on their backs on the Pilates equipment are staring straight at the ceiling, and a conventional light fixture would inevitably assault them with uncomfortable glare. Backlit translucent panels present a soft, gentle glow that creates a peaceful environment, and the decorative pattern of the panels offers the eyes relief and provides something aesthetically pleasing to focus on.
Form
Apart from their illumination function, luminous ceilings make aesthetic contributions to design. When a large proportion of ceiling emanates light, it transforms the appearance and effect of a room. It can raise the apparent ceiling height and make the space feel more expansive. Even at lower illumination levels, it has an emotional effect, making the room more welcoming, calm, and filled with a kind of uplift.
Panels for luminous ceilings are typically made of lightweight, molded plastic, such as rigid vinyl. They are available in different degrees of diffusion. For example, one leading manufacturer makes three degrees of diffusion labeled clear, frosted, and translucent, with clear having the least diffusion and translucent having the most. Diffusion affects both the spreading of light and the extent to which the ceiling reveals or conceals the above-ceiling area.
Many luminous ceiling products feature 3D (bas relief) patterns, enabling wide-ranging design choices. They are a stark contrast to the most familiar panel for suspended grids—opaque flat panels whose 2D surface contributes little to most architectural styles.
The range of available decorative patterns is wide and includes both contemporary and traditional options. Patterns emulate ornate decorative plaster commonly found in 19th century architecture, stamped metal (tin ceilings) popular in the early 20th century, coffers, which have been a feature of luxury residential and institutional construction since Ancient Rome, and geometric patterns such as circles, lines, wedges, stylized flower petals, and more.
Some manufacturers offer the same panel patterns in both translucent and opaque versions, with opaque versions in several colors and faux finishes including wood and metal. Designers can integrate luminous sections into an otherwise opaque ceiling while maintaining a uniform design, or mix patterns to create a stylistic differentiation between luminous and opaque sections.
