The Japanese Influence of Light and Shadow on Singaporean Design
There is something to be said for creating shadows in the home and the Japanese are masters at it
Japan before the 19th century held an air of exoticism for Western visitors – she was seen as a land of dimly lit paper lanterns. It was a momentous era of rapid modernisation, when big cities like Tokyo gradually replaced traditional forms of lighting such as chochin (outdoor lanterns) and andon (indoor standing lanterns) with gas and eventually electric lighting.
Against this backdrop of visible environmental modernisation and change, Japanese artists and writers of the period, such as Junichiro Tanizaki, depicted these changes through their art, often reasserting the country’s identity in the process. Tanizaki’s momentous essay In Praise of Shadows painted a portrait that unravelled the heritage of Japanese aesthetics, offering an alternative worldview to increasingly Western preferences.
Against this backdrop of visible environmental modernisation and change, Japanese artists and writers of the period, such as Junichiro Tanizaki, depicted these changes through their art, often reasserting the country’s identity in the process. Tanizaki’s momentous essay In Praise of Shadows painted a portrait that unravelled the heritage of Japanese aesthetics, offering an alternative worldview to increasingly Western preferences.
The Connection Between Japanese Culture and the Aesthetics of Light
“Whenever I see the alcove of a tastefully built Japanese room, I marvel at our comprehension of the secrets of shadows, our sensitive use of shadow and light.” -Junichiro Tanizaki
It is said that the Japanese tea ceremony is the mother of all Japanese cultural arts. Here, we can see the origins of the Japanese appreciation of subtle lighting and shadow. In every Japanese tea room is the tokonoma or Japanese alcove. This space is often decorated in creative and tasteful ways, with nothing more than a calligraphic scroll and fresh flowers or fruit. The lintel above the alcove was designed to impart shadow against the light source – to give it a sense of depth.
“Whenever I see the alcove of a tastefully built Japanese room, I marvel at our comprehension of the secrets of shadows, our sensitive use of shadow and light.” -Junichiro Tanizaki
It is said that the Japanese tea ceremony is the mother of all Japanese cultural arts. Here, we can see the origins of the Japanese appreciation of subtle lighting and shadow. In every Japanese tea room is the tokonoma or Japanese alcove. This space is often decorated in creative and tasteful ways, with nothing more than a calligraphic scroll and fresh flowers or fruit. The lintel above the alcove was designed to impart shadow against the light source – to give it a sense of depth.
“But the scroll and the flowers serve not as ornament but rather to give depth to the shadows.” -Tanizaki
To the untrained eye, these rooms seem very subdued. The calm, subtle and indirect light however, sets the mood for the entire room. A warm, indirect source of lighting is often used.
Rather than light, it is the shadow that is the focus of decoration in these spaces. The single source of light in a space envelopes the entire room. As we move further away from the light source, it gradually dims, but shadows become deeper. The wonderful gradation between the two fills the entire room. Beauty is achieved by chasing shadows.
To the untrained eye, these rooms seem very subdued. The calm, subtle and indirect light however, sets the mood for the entire room. A warm, indirect source of lighting is often used.
Rather than light, it is the shadow that is the focus of decoration in these spaces. The single source of light in a space envelopes the entire room. As we move further away from the light source, it gradually dims, but shadows become deeper. The wonderful gradation between the two fills the entire room. Beauty is achieved by chasing shadows.
1. Designing for Indirect Light and Privacy
When one walks up to a traditional Japanese home, one notices the extended, large eaves overhanging the exterior. They serve to keep direct light away from its interiors. Any light that enters the home is a reflection from the objects outside. The interior of this home (by Mamoru Yamada) takes in the light reflected by the courtyard.
When one walks up to a traditional Japanese home, one notices the extended, large eaves overhanging the exterior. They serve to keep direct light away from its interiors. Any light that enters the home is a reflection from the objects outside. The interior of this home (by Mamoru Yamada) takes in the light reflected by the courtyard.
“We never tire of the sight, for to us this pale glow and these dim shadows far surpass any ornament.” -Tanizaki
Some contemporary Japanese homes are still designed to receive indirect light. In Japanese architect Ken Yokogawa Architect & Associates’s project (弘中邸), sunlight is reflected off the landscaping into the main living area just a little under the ground level. Harsh direct sunlight is transformed into soft illumination, suitable for the living room.
Some contemporary Japanese homes are still designed to receive indirect light. In Japanese architect Ken Yokogawa Architect & Associates’s project (弘中邸), sunlight is reflected off the landscaping into the main living area just a little under the ground level. Harsh direct sunlight is transformed into soft illumination, suitable for the living room.
Yokogawa places emphasis on the effect of shadow and light in all of his work.
“I am always conscious of how the shadow works in the house I am designing.” he says. While he concedes that not all 21st century Japanese designers take that approach, he highlights its importance in architecture:
“We recognise the light and the form/figure in the light because there is also the shadow. Thus, when designing [an] architecture, it is important how the light and shadow interplay.”
“I am always conscious of how the shadow works in the house I am designing.” he says. While he concedes that not all 21st century Japanese designers take that approach, he highlights its importance in architecture:
“We recognise the light and the form/figure in the light because there is also the shadow. Thus, when designing [an] architecture, it is important how the light and shadow interplay.”
“The moon is not pleasing unless partly obscured by a cloud.” - Murata Shuko, tea master (1423-1502)
This contemporary home in Tokyo (by 石川淳建築設計事務所) has windows at an oblique angle. This gives privacy, but also ensures direct lighting does not reach sensitive areas of the home.
Architecture professor Juhani Pallasmaa in his essay Dwelling in Light points out that shadows are essential because they “invite unconscious peripheral visions and tactile fantasies.” This is done through restraining light, blurring depth, and sharpness of vision. This fulfils the privacy need of its occupants, but also enhances their aesthetic sensibilities.
This contemporary home in Tokyo (by 石川淳建築設計事務所) has windows at an oblique angle. This gives privacy, but also ensures direct lighting does not reach sensitive areas of the home.
Architecture professor Juhani Pallasmaa in his essay Dwelling in Light points out that shadows are essential because they “invite unconscious peripheral visions and tactile fantasies.” This is done through restraining light, blurring depth, and sharpness of vision. This fulfils the privacy need of its occupants, but also enhances their aesthetic sensibilities.
In Singapore, some landed houses face the blaze of the afternoon sun, but still require adequate ventilation and privacy. For Screen House, Materium devised a screen of hollow concrete blocks, coupled with tinted glass sliding doors and black aluminium frames to ward of direct sunlight and rain.
Read more about this home
Read more about this home
Untitled #9 by Studio Wills + Architects is a conscious design in crafting the experience and subtlety of light and dark spaces for the homeowner. Starting with the entryway to the living, dining, and bedrooms, one experiences varying gradations of light. These variations correspond to the room’s functions as well as the owner’s lifestyle.
Take a Houzz Tour of this home
Take a Houzz Tour of this home
The result is “a series of contrasting spaces through the screen that connects them;” principal William Ng says.
Ng first encountered the beauty and subtlety of darkness through Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows, and that consciousness deepened through experiencing architect Geoffrey Bawa’s Kandalama Hotel in Sri Lanka. The hotel’s “dim interior, draws the ‘eyes’ to the brighter exterior” Ng says, “and ‘frames’ a ‘view’ which is a very powerful one.”
Ng first encountered the beauty and subtlety of darkness through Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows, and that consciousness deepened through experiencing architect Geoffrey Bawa’s Kandalama Hotel in Sri Lanka. The hotel’s “dim interior, draws the ‘eyes’ to the brighter exterior” Ng says, “and ‘frames’ a ‘view’ which is a very powerful one.”
“The light from the garden steals in but dimly through paper-panelled doors, and it is precisely this indirect light that makes for us the charm of a room” -Tanizaki
2. Diffusing Light to Create Shadow and Darkness
Washi paper has traditionally been used in screens to partition spaces of a Japanese home. These screens also turn direct sunlight into soft illumination. Light that’s filtered through washi makes for a charming play of moving light and shadow throughout the day, and changing seasons.
2. Diffusing Light to Create Shadow and Darkness
Washi paper has traditionally been used in screens to partition spaces of a Japanese home. These screens also turn direct sunlight into soft illumination. Light that’s filtered through washi makes for a charming play of moving light and shadow throughout the day, and changing seasons.
“No words can describe that sensation as one sits in the dim light, basking in the faint glow reflected from the shoji, lost in meditation or gazing out at the garden.” -Tanizaki
The light that comes through washi has a warmth and comfort to it. Understanding its effect on the aesthetics of a home has led to contemporary interpretations with modern materials – it may be the use of linen blinds or frosted glass to derive a similar effect.
The light that comes through washi has a warmth and comfort to it. Understanding its effect on the aesthetics of a home has led to contemporary interpretations with modern materials – it may be the use of linen blinds or frosted glass to derive a similar effect.
Studio Wills + Architects’s Untitled #9 creates a calm environment by using a timber screen, but also by dimmed lighting, and curtains that soften light entering the home. The walls of the home are painted a deep cocoa brown.
“We often seek for duality in our projects” principal William Ng says, “attempting to bring these two qualities together in sharp contrast as we believe it helps one appreciate one quality through the ‘other’.”
This duality between light and dark is made harmonious with diffused lighting, both through light-diffusing sheer curtains as well as warm indirect lighting.
“We often seek for duality in our projects” principal William Ng says, “attempting to bring these two qualities together in sharp contrast as we believe it helps one appreciate one quality through the ‘other’.”
This duality between light and dark is made harmonious with diffused lighting, both through light-diffusing sheer curtains as well as warm indirect lighting.
3. Designing with the Pattern of Light and Shadows
This home in Nagoya (by 空間設計ａｕｎ) has a central courtyard with seasonal trees as a central feature. Changing light conditions casts the trees’ shadows onto various surfaces in the house.
Another intentional use of shadow is its decorative effect on the floors and walls of a space. Indirect light is also a reflection of natural or artificial light off objects to cast patterns upon a surface. The intended pattern can be part of a building’s design process.
This home in Nagoya (by 空間設計ａｕｎ) has a central courtyard with seasonal trees as a central feature. Changing light conditions casts the trees’ shadows onto various surfaces in the house.
Another intentional use of shadow is its decorative effect on the floors and walls of a space. Indirect light is also a reflection of natural or artificial light off objects to cast patterns upon a surface. The intended pattern can be part of a building’s design process.
Shadows that move throughout the day impart a sense of time passing, or even seasons. In Yokogawa’s project (H別邸), Light reflected off objects creates shadow images onto surfaces within the home. If it’s the shadow of swaying plants that is reflected onto a wall or floor, it reminds its occupants of the presence of nature within the home itself.
“ Sunlight never knows how great it is until it hits the side of a building or shines inside a room.” - Louis Kahn
Homes can also be designed in a way to shape and structure light coming into a room. When asked about the importance of being conscious of light and shadow in designing a home, Yokogawa suggests that “light enables us to recognise what the architectural work is like.”
杉浦別邸 has a polyhedron roof which reflects light off the different angled surfaces, creating depth and visual interest to the ceiling. Different shapes and shades are created with varying light conditions throughout the day.
Homes can also be designed in a way to shape and structure light coming into a room. When asked about the importance of being conscious of light and shadow in designing a home, Yokogawa suggests that “light enables us to recognise what the architectural work is like.”
杉浦別邸 has a polyhedron roof which reflects light off the different angled surfaces, creating depth and visual interest to the ceiling. Different shapes and shades are created with varying light conditions throughout the day.
A similar concept is used in Singapore by the association in the bedroom of 2 Merge. The visual effect is enhanced through indirect lighting, which creates different gradations of light on the angles of the panels.
4. Lighting and Shadow To Accomodate Our Senses
This bathroom by Freedom Architects Design in Tokyo is lit by four contemporary andons against a dark matt surface, with a view of the greenery outside.
Lighting affects one’s physiological state and function. Pallasmaa also suggests that “light controls the processes and rhythms of life… we have too little sunlight during the day and too much light at night.” Designers often conceptualise areas of a home closely in tune with our body’s natural functions. The bathroom and bedroom are often such areas.
Design and material selection can affect how we feel when we step into these spaces in the morning or evening. A different kind of satisfaction can also be found in the form of in a dimly-lit bathroom with non-reflective walls.
This bathroom by Freedom Architects Design in Tokyo is lit by four contemporary andons against a dark matt surface, with a view of the greenery outside.
Lighting affects one’s physiological state and function. Pallasmaa also suggests that “light controls the processes and rhythms of life… we have too little sunlight during the day and too much light at night.” Designers often conceptualise areas of a home closely in tune with our body’s natural functions. The bathroom and bedroom are often such areas.
Design and material selection can affect how we feel when we step into these spaces in the morning or evening. A different kind of satisfaction can also be found in the form of in a dimly-lit bathroom with non-reflective walls.
Paris-based interior and product designer Romain Chaveau of Supercraft Studio had Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows in mind when his client asked for a bathroom in Tiong Bahru that they could gradually wake up in the morning.
“We designed the bathroom to be dark and serene with filtered natural light, so the owners can find their way around the space without using artificial light,” he says.
Read more about this home
“We designed the bathroom to be dark and serene with filtered natural light, so the owners can find their way around the space without using artificial light,” he says.
Read more about this home
“People are now more accustomed to a brighter interior which could possibly be traced back to the invention of electricity and subsequently, fluorescent lighting.” Ng says. But this state of lighting in our homes isn’t as self-evident as it should be. Light gives us a sense of space and time, and Japan’s traditional aesthetics of light and shadow is a reminder that our physical well-being depends very much on our conscious design of it.
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Do you prefer a brightly lit space or one that’s moodily dim? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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Browse Japanese designs
TELL US
Do you prefer a brightly lit space or one that’s moodily dim? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
MORE
Browse Japanese designs
Indeed, Japan’s love for lighting that brings tranquility and warmth into a room was never discarded despite the proliferation of electricity in every household by the post-WWII economic boom of the 1950s. This appreciation for the subtle and refined, crystallised through the centuries across the entire spectrum of the Japanese societal classes, has become a marvellous way to appreciate our environment.
Japanese designers have interpreted the ideas that Tanizaki articulated convincingly to successive generations domestically and even abroad. Beyond the tone of nostalgia, designers around the world and in Singapore have sought to express his belief in the beauty and necessity of shadow in our daily lives.