Car parks: seeing beyond the driving lane
Car park lighting should consider pedestrians, vehicles, walls and transitions together.
Car parks combine several visual tasks. Drivers need to identify lanes and obstacles, pedestrians look for exits, and people must see one another in time. Assessing the floor alone is insufficient. Vertical surfaces, columns and spaces between vehicles belong in the design too.
Low ceilings constrain mounting positions and can expose bright luminaires directly to view. Position and distribution should reflect normal driving and viewing directions. Entrances and exits also need coordinated treatment of daylight and internal lighting.
Consider connected control zones so users do not move through isolated pools of light. Detection, background state and return to normal operation are commissioned on site. Building, electrical and safety requirements need project-specific assessment; greater brightness alone does not resolve every orientation problem.
What to clarify for your project
- Review driver and pedestrian viewing directions.
- Include columns, entrances and signs.
- Test control zones as connected routes.
Remember: Plan vehicle routes, pedestrian routes and readable room boundaries together.