Lighting Cultural Immersion: Storytelling Through Light In Restaurant Design

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates how architectural lighting design can create cultural immersion and narrative-driven experiences within restaurant environments. The research positions light as a primary tool for shaping atmosphere, perception, and emotional engagement. The study combines literature review, case study analysis, lighting experiments, and design application to examine how color temperature, contrast, and material interaction influence spatial experience. Case studies including Augustas Folksalong, Meow Wolf, teamLab, and Alchemist reveal how immersive environments use light to guide movement, structure narrative, and shape emotional response. Physical and digital experiments testing 2700K, 3000K, and 4000K lighting conditions demonstrate how different spectral qualities affect food perception, material expression, and atmosphere. The findings show that warm color temperatures and controlled contrast strengthen intimacy, sensory engagement, and cultural atmosphere. These findings inform the lighting design proposal for a restaurant concept. Through sequential lighting transitions and material-driven illumination, the project demonstrates how light can construct a story through atmosphere, cultural identity, and a sense of place.