Evolution of wall-washing

In 10 short years, lenses producing raking light for facades have created a small revolution. A look at wall-washing.

To illuminate a wall or facade with raking light, whether inside or outside, requires multiple spotlights. If the desired effect is a uniform illumination, the classic method is to install multiple lighting devices, evenly spaced in front of the wall.

Elliptical lenses

In the early 2000s, only elliptical lenses opening out 40° wide and 40° deep could illuminate a wall more-or-less uniformly. Where the lenses were spaced out at larger distances, dark areas became obvious.

Dispersant film and tiltable lenses

With the same number of products, LEC has allowed light designers to obtain greater uniformity, spread out along the wall, with 36° lenses and by using a 20° (D20) dispersant film, and a tiltable LED block. The ability to direct and tilt the lens block avoids loss of luminous flux. It permits onsite adjustment depending on the desired effect. And the tilt can be adjusted without opening the spotlight, so no risk of disturbing any weatherproofing.

Lens combinations on a platform

A decisive step was then taken by combining lenses on a platform for the product Allevard 5716, and on two platforms for the Alicante 5727 which are individually tiltable. Thus, while still using independent sources for easy and potentially less onerous installation than a continuous strip, LEC introduced real solutions for uniform lighting longitudinally and vertically.

Comparison of two wall-washing techniques, one with a 40x10° lens, the other with a lens mix suggested by LEC.
Distance between two products: 10 m. Wall height: 15 m.

A beautiful example of wall-washing performance: the illumination project for the facade of the City Council of Istres, South of France.

Comparison of the evolution of wall-washing solutions using individual spotlights.

1. elliptical 40 x 10°
2. 36° lens block with dispersant film
3. 36° lens block, tiltable,
4. tiltable LEC block with combination of lenses,
5. two tiltable LED blocks separately with combinations.