Natural light in museums is a double-edged sword: too much light can damage fragile works, yet its absence leaves galleries lifeless and reliant on artificial energy. Striking the balance is one of the defining architectural challenges of our time. Today, museums across the globe are proving that daylight can be not only managed but celebrated — delivering both environmental savings and a richer visitor experience.
On the banks of the Hantangang River in Yeoncheon, where the first Acheulian hand axe in East Asia was discovered, the Jeongok Prehistory Museum, rises like a shimmering, serpentine form inspired by ancient Korean dragon and snake skins.
Designed by XTU Architects, the building’s stainless-steel skin is perforated to admit sunlight by day, creating dynamic interiors that shift with the weather and the rhythm of exhibitions. Behind the façade, a double-glazed wall stabilizes interior temperatures, minimizing glare while cutting reliance on air conditioning. The result is a prehistoric museum that feels alive with daylight, yet controlled enough to safeguard artifacts.
In Chicago, Renzo Piano’s 2009 expansion of the Art Institute of Chicago employs a 115,000-square-foot “flying carpet” roof fitted with thousands of aluminum blades. This overhead filter screen modulates the harsh Midwestern sun, flooding the galleries with diffuse light while slashing electricity demand. It’s a lesson in how technology and tradition merge to honor both art and energy.
Perched on the Atlantic in Biarritz, the Cité de l’Océan, by Steven Holl and Solange Fabião was conceived as an architectural metaphor for waves and undercurrents. Its sustainable renovations have emphasized daylighting strategies, with skylights and glazing that bring natural light into immersive oceanic exhibits, reducing dependence on artificial sources. (stevenholl.com)
Jean Nouvel’s Louvre Abu Dhabi, reimagines the desert sun with a monumental dome of interlaced metal stars, inspired by Arab culture. The result is the celebrated “rain of light” effect, where perforations create a dappled canopy, shading visitors while admitting daylight in a controlled, poetic fashion. This design both reduces solar gain and minimizes energy demand in one of the hottest climates on Earth.
Museums are proving that natural light can be sculpted as carefully as stone or steel. It saves energy (supporting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy), reduces infrastructure costs (SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and enhances urban livability (SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities). But beyond performance metrics, daylight animates spaces, connects visitors to place, and creates architecture that resonates with the rhythms of the natural world.
In the end, to design with light is to design with life — an art form as old as humanity, now reimagined for a sustainable future.
NEXT IN Summit is an event promoted by ACCIONA Cultura that brings together international leaders in the cultural sector to share experiences, discuss ideas, and analyze the challenges that will shape the future of the cultural industry.