Our visual understanding of the world is heavily impacted upon by architectural lighting design, a discipline encompassing architecture, art, engineering, psychology and social behaviour (Descotte, 2005). An example of this interaction between architectural design and social behaviour is observed as an everyday occurrence. Today’s dining experience has virtually been transformed into the perfect social and cultural act, resulting from ambiences deliberately conceived to create these effects (Vaquez, 2007). The recent refurbishment of the McDonald’s Fast Food restaurant on George Street, Sydney by the agency Juicy Design reflects the elegance of its newly uncovered space through careful lighting design and material implementation, without compromise to its brand identity. Every restaurant has three layers to their lighting design: ambience, task, accent; Of these, ambient and accent lighting inextricably intertwine to shape the ordering and dining areas of McDonald’s. Typically, fine dining restaurants have levels of ambient lighting as low as 50 lux1 (Veelite) to evoke drama, often in conjunction with carefully placed accent lights. By contrast, McDonald’s George Street has its dining area at around 200 lux, similar to the levels of a typical living room lit up at night. In this specific case, a brightly lit dining space has many tailored advantages. A 2012 study by Cornell University’s B. Wansink and Dr. Van Ittersum has shown that a brightly lit, low contrast environment correlates to higher food consumption within a shorter stay period when compared to typical restaurants. This may well be the key to maintaining a steady profit margin at McDonald’s George Street. (Herman, 2014). Other factors that contribute to this model of business are the placement of lights, colour temperature and CRI. Two types of recessed cans cast light from above. First type is mounted on wooden elements and white ceiling panels. They run parallel to the ordering areas in a comparatively denser layout2 to signify circulation and movement spaces. High luminous areas on the floor plane are produced in front of the counter accompanied by the hard edge countertop shadow – presenting a high contrast visual marker for consumers3. The second is comparatively warmer in light temperature and lights the majority of seating areas and circulation spaces. These fixtures are fixed on the matte red ceiling elements, resulting in a more luminous colour render of the red surface. The second type of fixtures are in fact a series of 18W warm white 2700-‐3500K LED down lights, a recent replacement to the not as energy efficient 26W CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) down lights (SSLI, 2014), emanating colour temperatures of around 4000K. 3000K in colour temperature was implemented to meet McDonald’s new
1 Veelite guide to light levels: bars-‐dining rooms: 50-‐200 lux;
CIBSE Recommended Illumination Levels: Restaurants and Canteens: 200 lux. 2 Density, in this case a higher quantity of lights occupying a smaller ceiling area light the main circulation spaces, affecting movement and rhythm by attracting people to move towards the area with denser lighting, commonly known as the Moth Effect (Croson 2011) 3 similar effect to the yellow line on a train platform, but in a more subliminal sense
lighting design criteria of high CRI4 (SSLI, 2014). The subtle upgrading to warmer temperature lighting moves McDonald’s away from aesthetics of counter service establishments and closer to a typical fine dining restaurant. A typical fast food uses bright fluorescent lighting to convey cleanliness, value and approachability; whereas warm lighting imposes a calming effect and encourages lingering (Croson, 2011). In this restaurant space, accent lighting is instigated in multiple ways. A set of two ceiling mounted track lights draw the eyes to the patterned wallpapers installed by Flash Proposition. The angles of these accent lights are carefully adjusted to avoid casting harsh shadows on customers’ faces. McDonald’s also uses track lighting on the wall from which you turn to the lavatory, reiterating the notion of placing visual markers to help orientate customers. Menu light boxes with fitted acetate menus also act as accent lights, attracting customers’ eyes to those surfaces5. The white pendant light fittings by Euro Luce hang over long 8-‐seater and 5-‐seater reflective white table tops. The comparatively low hanging fixture strikes intimacy6 and class, as the light shade gently diffuses light travelling out horizontally and directly downwards onto the table top, while indirectly casting a concentrated shaft of light upwards onto the white matte ceiling, on which the light reflects and diffuses. This demonstrates the company’s motivation to update consumer perception and attract more consumers by aligning itself closer to the aesthetics of higher-‐end restaurants while retaining its efficient business model. An alternate approach to facilitate the company’s shift towards fine dinning would be mood lighting and a lighting setup to mediate mark transition from public to semi-‐ public; from semi-‐public to semi-‐private. Dimmer down lighting can be introduced to secondary circulation areas; larger, fewer light sources fixed on the ceiling could be used to increase visual interest. Wall mounted accent lighting with sources hidden from view could be implemented to shine upwards on the wall’s vertical plane. It is important to note that this approach should be kept subtle, as too much drama in lighting would in appropriately result in the degradation of the restaurant’s business model. With that said the current lighting setup is very effective in maintaining a purposeful equilibrium between maximisation of profit margins and a comfortable dine-‐in experience. J A M E S W F E N G 1 5 . 1 0 . 1 4
4 Sources with higher Colour Rendering Index values (80-‐100) make subjects look more natural
than sources with lower CRI values 5 Ultimately the photography and menu layout and menu choices will urge the purchase of foods, other marketing aspects that delves into consumer psychology, however lighting is the first step in the series of events (Fleming, 2013) 6 height of lights relate directly to the degree of intimacy. e.g. streetlights vs. bedside lamp. (Descottes, 2005)
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