The Structure of Light: Richard Kelly and the Illumination of Modern Architecture

Dazzling black and white photos, secrets of the mysterious alchemy (term???) of lighting, of a heroic era of design now receding in time and in the culture. Designers felt that form was its own reward and Richard Kelly was the man to enhance it. His philosophy survives to this day though many of his projects have been sabotaged or completely destroyed. Whenever I attend the ballet at the NY State Theater I say a little prayer to his big diamonds. A must for architects and interior designers who like to get into the crunchy details.

Very good, thank you

I found this book both frustrating and fascinating. It describes the life and work of Richard Kelly, architectural lighting designer, Yale faculty member, and collaborator with Mies van der Rohe, Philip Johnson, and Louis Kahn at mid twentieth century. Kelly either developed or was an early adopter of so much that is now standard practice that it was difficult for me to appreciate his creativity. He sought focal glow, ambient luminescence, and play of brilliants or sparkle in his installations. Today this is taught as task lighting, ambient lighting, and accent lighting--terms that do not have the poetry of Kelly's words, and that too often lead to inferior results.My frustration came from a lack of technical details, such as foot-candles or color temperatures, that would lead to a greater understanding of how Kelly achieved his effects. Also, I would have appreciated more guidance to understand how the terms focal glow, ambient luminescence, and sparkle applied to the illustrated designs.Still, I recommend this book. Even if you, too, are frustrated as I was by wanting more, you will have a deeper understanding of illumination after this study of Richard Kelly's fascinating work.