Cafés
Communal Table Lighting Design for Cafés
Place light where people work or read faces. Layer task light over ambient light and test glare from occupied positions.
Explore the ideas
Plan in this order
- Mark tasks, viewing angles and screen locations on the furniture plan before placing fittings.
- Separate regularly used tasks from the room's general lighting so each can be controlled independently.
- Test the proposed fitting and finish sample together. Glossy finishes can reflect a bright source directly into view.
Worked example
A dining pendant creates a bright pool on the table but leaves faces dim and the nearby serving surface hard to use.
Keep the pendant for the table and add separately controlled ambient light with a small task source at serving. Check reflected glare from seated positions and while carrying dishes.
How to test it
Check the space in daylight and after dark. Stand and sit where people actually use it, and check controls from the entry.
Apply it to this space
- Layout
- Place the table in a central but nonblocking position with smaller tables available nearby.
- Detail
- Provide accessible power at table ends and a hard-wearing top with rounded corners.
- Trade-off
- A large shared table is efficient but less comfortable for private conversation.
- Try solo, pair, and group seating
- Check that power cords do not cross walking paths
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