Hallway lighting can create a welcoming atmosphere and give the room structure. A certain flexibility is essential to cater to the varying needs of the users of lighting in communal areas. High colour rendering and adequate brightness levels provide the right viewing conditions for exhibitions and ensure safety and efficient navigation. Motion and daylight sensors are a great way to minimise energy consumption in staircases with a varying presence of people, as well as make use of the available natural light in school corridors and other circulation areas.
Staircase lights need to be particularly well illuminated, with luminance contrasts between the steps for better visibility and increased safety. When wall lighting is used on staircases, care should be taken to avoid glare for those ascending and descending.
Safety lighting systems in school corridors are important because they double as escape routes. Emergency lighting in communal areas should include escape sign luminaires and safety lights with independent energy sources that switch on automatically in case of a power failure and safely lead the way to emergency exits and safety equipment.
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 | |||||||
| Entrance halls | 200 | 300 | 22 | 0,40 | 80 | 75 | 75 | 50 | |
| Circulation areas, corridors | 100 | 150 | 25 | 0,40 | 80 | 50 | 50 | 30 | Horizontal illuminance at floor level |
| Stairs | 150 | 200 | 25 | 0,40 | 80 | 50 | 50 | 30 | Horizontal illuminance at floor level |