Kontribusi Pencahayaan Buatan terhadap Kualitas Visual Bangunan pada Malam Hari

Historical buildings frequently appear distinctive in their architectural style and ornament. These buildings have an emotional impact and forms of association to eye-witnesses. While such distinction is apparent in day-time, after dark, artificial lighting plays a critical role in conserving and transforming images. The study explores the visual qualities of historical buildings in Simpang Lima, Semarang: Lawang Sewu Building, Wisma Perdamaian, and Mandala Bhakti Museum. As landmarks of the city of Semarang, historical buildings in this area have a variety of artificial lighting systems imposed on their facade. The following paper compares building visual qualities around Simpang Lima over a 24 hour period regarding the subjective perception of the viewer. The overall impression was that significant degradation of visual quality occurred at night across all subjects. Therefore, lighting systems – lighting techniques, luminance level and choice of light colour – have played an important role in reducing the visual quality of historical buildings. Observations are made as to how this situation could be improved. Keywords: visual quality, artificial lighting, the area of Simpang Lima Semarang