The importance of school auditorium lighting is evident already upon entering it. Students and the audience need to be guided safely to their seats, so steps, aisles and exits require adequate illumination. Floor- and wall-recessed luminaires or LED strips provide proper guidance and must always be switched on. Wall luminaires give an increased sense of security, but their light must be soft, so as not to disturb the lectures or plays. The lighting settings should be fully controlled from the lecturer’s position and from the door. Pre-set scenarios on a user-friendly control panel are a helpful tool for inexperienced lecturers.
During lectures, an illuminance level of 500 lux is recommended to ensure ample light for the students to comfortably take notes. At the same time, the lighting in the lecture hall must be dimmable when playing videos or watching on-screen presentations. To avoid glare during lectures, the lighting’s glare rating should not exceed 19.
Presentation lighting is even more important than in classrooms, as the distance between the lecturer and the audience is bigger. Facial expressions may be more challenging to identify, so bright, vertical illumination in the presentation area of an auditorium should be used to enhance visual communication.
Lighting requirements in EN 12464-1:2021
| Type of task / activity area |
Lux-level (Em) |
Glare rating (UGRL) |
Uniformity (U0) |
Colour rendition (Ra) |
Em,z | Em,wall | Em,ceiling | Specific requirements |
|
| required | modified | U0 ≥ 0,10 | |||||||
| Auditorium, lecture halls | 500 | 750 | 19 | 0,60 | 80 | 150 | 150 | 50 | Lighting should be controllable to accomodate various A/V needs |
| Attending lecture in sitting areas | 200 | 300 | 19 | 0,60 | 80 | 75 | 75 | 50 | Reduction by dimming, DSE work |
| Black, green and white boards | 500 | 750 | 19 | 0,60 | 80 | - | - | - | Vertical illuminances. |
| Projector and smartboard presentation | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Lighting should be controllable |
| Display board | 200 | 300 | 19 | 0,60 | 80 | - | - | - | Vertical illuminance |
| Demonstration table | 750 | 1000 | 19 | 0,70 | 80 | - | - | - | |
| Light on teacher / presenter | - | - | - | - | 80 | 150 | - | - | At 1,6 m above the floor. Suitable vertical illuminance |
| Light on podium area | 300 | 500 | - | 0,70 | 80 | - | - | - | Illuminance should be vertical in direction of audience. Lighting should be controllable |