The Bavaria Downs wedding venue in Chaska, Minn., is lit by a color-controlled luminous ceiling that can be changed to create a variety of moods, as well as paired with elegant crystal chandeliers for versatile illumination options.

When is a suspended grid ceiling more than just a ceiling? When it is also a light source.

Luminous ceilings can be created in conventional suspended ceilings by installing light-transmitting panels in the grid to spread illumination into the room from above-ceiling light sources. From LED light fixtures to sunshine entering through a skylight, backlit panels can be used to fill an entire room with light, focus light on specific areas or simply glow gently in the background. By using decorative, 3-D thermoformed panels, the light-filled ceiling becomes attractive in its own right, a significant element of the room design. With color-controlled LEDs as the light source, the ceiling can change the décor of a room at a moment’s notice.

A luminous ceiling may also eliminate the need for other light fixtures in or below the ceiling. If the light-transmitting ceiling elements are approved as dropout panels, then fire-suppression sprinklers can be located above the ceiling instead of poking through it. This cost-effective solution cleans up and de-clutters the visual landscape overhead, provides protection for sprinkler heads and makes the ceiling simpler to install.

This Club Pilates studio in West Los Angeles, California, uses luminous ceilings for all illumination, creating a calm, low-key environment with lighting that is easy on the eyes when lying face-upwards on the exercise equipment.
Photo courtesy of Ceilume Ceilings

The Anaheim Public Library’s Sunkist branch updated its 1976 luminous ceiling by putting LED tubes in the original fluorescent fixtures and replacing the old, yellowed lenses with new, non-yellowing, thermoformed translucent panels.
Photo courtesy of Ceilume Ceilings

Then and Now

In the middle of the 20th century, in the early days of suspension grid systems, luminous ceilings exploded in popularity. The panels were sized to drop into standard 2x2 and 2x4 grids, and they used fluorescent troffers above the ceiling to provide the light. Panels were made of materials like vinyl, which could be either flat or molded into a variety of three-dimensional patterns. Available patterns included a mixture of contemporary geometric forms and traditional designs of the types that were once executed in plaster, pressed metal or wood millwork. Patterns that mimic stamped-metal ceilings (“tin ceilings”) or ornate plasterwork fit well with traditional architecture, while styles with clean lines and geometric patterns complemented the modern office aesthetic.

Thermoformed tiles are still made today, and many of the same patterns are still available, both in light-transmitting and opaque materials. New manufacturing standards have led to better, more sustainable vinyl material and more efficient manufacturing processes. Some of today’s tiles include recycled content and are fully recyclable.

The modern update that has taken the luminous ceiling concept to the next level, however, is the widespread availability of LED lighting, which offers significant advantages over other, older types of fixtures. LEDs are physically smaller, much lighter in weight and easier to install than fluorescent fixtures. In contrast to fluorescent lights, LEDs have an incredibly long lifespan, are more energy-efficient—more brightness for your buck—and emit almost no UV radiation.

From an interior design perspective, the biggest change offered by LEDs is color. RBGW LEDs are versatile and can change both the intensity and color of their light—millions of colors across the spectrum are possible. They can provide anything from a pastel background glow to a pulsating disco ceiling, and they are changeable using DMX controllers, a well-established, programmable system for theatrical lighting. An LED-lit, color-changeable ceiling can transform the look and mood of a room at a moment’s notice.

Lighting Up

Light sources can be LED fixtures or even generic LED strips mounted to a suitable substrate. A lighting designer in Minnesota created his own mounting system using aluminum strips. The mounting distance above the ceiling plane affects the intensity of the light, so the choice of where to mount the LEDs is important. LEDs close to the ceiling panels will look brighter, though close mounting may appear as hotspots in the field of the panel, depending on the level of diffusion that the panel provides. Panel materials are made in various levels of diffusion for different effects. For example, one company makes three levels of diffusion in a series—translucent, frosted and clear. Clear transmits the most intensity, while translucent provides the greatest diffusion and spreads the light most evenly.

The greater the level of diffusion, the closer the light source can be to the ceiling without creating hotspots. The Minnesota designer tested a translucent panel using a custom-made light box and found that he could get even light spread without hotspots at just 6 inches away. His project had sufficient clearance to mount the LEDs 20 inches away.

In locations where clearance is too narrow to achieve the desired diffusion, LEDs can be mounted facing upwards, with a reflector fixed above them to bounce the light back downwards and spread it more evenly. The reflector could be as simple as an insulation panel or a sheet of aluminum foil.

The modular nature of suspended grid systems allows great flexibility in deciding how much of the ceiling should be luminous. Virtually the entire ceiling can be lit from above or alternatively luminous panels can be in discreet areas—glowing islands in a field of opaque tiles. Both light-transmitting and opaque versions of the same pattern can be mixed, with opaque options including solid colors, metallic and faux-wood finishes. Luminous areas in one pattern can also be bordered with a different opaque tile to create an effect of different ceiling materials—for example, the look of a molded glass ceiling surrounded by wood panels.

The renovated computer lab at the Arbor Park Middle School features a transparent ceiling "just for fun."
Photo courtesy of Arbor Park School District 145

The modularity of grid ceilings enables the mixing of patterns to create borders and other aesthetic effects, giving the ceiling greater design value.
Photo courtesy of Ceilume Ceilings

Many Applications

Bright or soft, neutral or colored, luminous ceilings are a versatile lighting option with applications in a variety of facilities. They are ideal in situations where diffused light is desirable to create a mood. For example, a chain of Pilates studios in southern California uses luminous ceiling illumination exclusively in their workout rooms. Customers lying on their backs on the Pilates equipment are staring straight up at the ceiling, but there are no glaring light fixtures—just a soft, gentle glow that creates a calm environment. The decorative luminous ceiling, with a blue-light border at the perimeter of the room, has become a feature of the chain’s branding. Other kinds of facilities where customers spend much of their time lying back and looking up—beauty salons or medical and dental practices—could use the same strategy.

The diffused light from luminous ceilings reduced glare on computer screens at public libraries in Anaheim, Calif. They upgraded their 1976 luminous ceilings with new LED tubes and new decorative panels to replace the old, yellowed ones. The update increased room illumination in a way that was friendly to the laptop screens that are so common in today’s libraries.

At a middle school in a Chicago suburb, the computer lab was redesigned as an open plan where students sitting on the floor could look up at a patterned, transparent ceiling. They get intriguing glimpses of plumbing, electrical and mechanical services lurking murkily above them. According to the district’s chief technology officer, who spearheaded the renovation, the transparent ceiling was done “just for fun.”

At Bavaria Downs in Chaska, half of the vast ballroom ceiling is luminous. The ceiling was designed to mimic an enormous skylight, and with its color-controlled LEDs, the sky can be deep blue or sunset pink or pure white. It can even be colored to match the bridesmaids’ gowns. Color changes can be synced to the music to transform the ceiling into a light show for after-dinner dancing. The color-changing ceiling has become very popular and serves as a sales tool for booking events, with customers viewing it as additional décor that they don’t have to pay for.

Disappearing Sprinklers and Dropout Panels

Like many commercial locations, Bavaria Downs has fire sprinkler requirements. However, it was able to avoid having sprinkler heads poking through the luminous ceiling. It selected translucent panels that are approved as dropout panels under the National Fire Protection Association’s Standard 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, §3.3.61. Dropout panels are engineered to soften and deform if exposed to a certain level of heat. Sprinkler heads get installed above the ceiling. In the event of fire, the panels soften and fall out of the grid, clearing the path for the sprinklers to operate. Sprinkler heads can be positioned up, out of the way of the lights—up to 5 feet above the panels—so the pipes do not cast shadows on the ceiling.

The use of dropout panels with above-ceiling sprinklers must be approved by local authorities having jurisdiction and only applies to certain types of occupancies. If you are planning such an installation, it is wise to consult the AHJ early in the design process to verify applicable designs and acceptable dropout products.

Conclusion

Luminous ceilings can be both illumination and décor. With three-dimensional ceiling tiles of an appropriate pattern, the ceiling can become both a functional and aesthetic upgrade to the interior design of the room. Luminous ceilings can contribute to the design of many different types of locations, including schools, libraries, restaurants, hotels, gyms, salons, indoor swimming pools, computer centers and offices. Beautiful effects are possible at a low cost for an architectural ceiling.