After a busy day of shopping at the Hyundai Department Store Mokdong in Seoul, consumers are beckoned to the roof where they can rest under the “clouds.” These clouds, however, are really clusters of “biophilic fixtures” hovering above both humans and plants.
The design by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects and Lichtvision Design leverages both natural and electric light. Daylight only enters the room through the side windows. The ceiling above is flat and does not let in any daylight. While it’s modeled after a greenhouse roof, its panels had to be artificially backlit.
The space is visually broken up by islands of green plants embedded in the floor. A “swarm” of plant-friendly LED lights is placed above each island to promote both human and plant wellbeing. These pendant fixtures float above the plants like diffuse luminous clouds. To parallel the space’s architectural style, Lichtvision specified luminaires with an industrial aesthetic and a raw aluminum finish.
To compensate for the small amount of daylight in the space, LED light is used to enhance the health of the plants in the glasshouse. LED luminaires with a color temperature of 4000K were chosen. LED chips with reduced red-light components were used to avoid overstimulation and to avoid creating a stressful growth environment for the plants. In addition, the illuminance levels were designed to meet the plants’ needs while preventing glare to visitors.