As part of the celebration for its 75th anniversary in 2009–10, Erco Lighting has written a new lighting reference book, Light Perspectives. The 268-page volume enhances its text by using luxurious photographs and clear illustrative diagrams to explore lighting concepts, techniques, technologies, and terms. The book’s 21 chapters are arranged in three sections: Light (an examination of the qualities of light), Space (the relationship between light and space), and Perspectives (light as it relates to culture). Each chapter focuses on a specific lighting term and presents the reader with the fundamentals of light and lighting—everything from issues of light and dark to color temperature and to spatial patterns.
Although the project images included in the book come from work in which Erco’s products have been specified, the text does not specifically promote the company or its products. Rather, it is a first-rate discussion of the principles of architectural lighting design, one that manages to take a complex subject covering a vast amount of information and breaks it down in an accessible way regardless of the reader’s background or familiarity with lighting. Light Perspectives is a welcome addition to the library of lighting books and reference materials.
