Aperitivo #3
The Poetics of Darkness

studioatomic

Event
Brooklyn, NY

2025

Aperitivo #3:
The Poetics of Darkness

Darkness is not the absence of light, it is a presence of its own.As designers, we often chase brightness, yet overlook the depth, nuance, and emotional resonance that darkness can bring to the spatial experience.

On September 10, 2025, Studio Atomic hosted the third edition of the Aperitivo series in our Dumbo studio — an intimate evening dedicated to exploring the creative and emotional potential of darkness in architectural lighting.

The conversation featured lighting designers Florencia Castro and Monica Llamas, co-authors of The Poetics of Darkness, in dialogue with Paola Pietrantoni of Studio Atomic. Together, they reflected on the value of darkness as a design material, one capable of shaping perception, emotion, and atmosphere in ways that light alone cannot achieve

The discussion unfolded through a series of questions that invited guests to reconsider the fundamentals of visual experience and spatial perception:

Why darkness?

How can darkness add value to the spatial experience?

In this context, how do we define darkness — not just visually, but emotionally or conceptually?

What influences our perception of darkness?

Has our cultural relationship to darkness shifted with the rise of 24/7 illumination?

Has our understanding of darkness evolved over time, and what has changed?

Why does design practice so often favor brightness over adaptation?

What are the consequences of prioritizing sight over the other senses in the built environment?

What issues emerge from over-illumination?

How can under-illumination influence our perception of space, time, or memory?

In a world where brightness is the default, how can we begin to reintroduce under-illumination, this ‘poetic darkness’?

How do you use contrast as a tool in your design process?

How does the spectrum between darkness and light inform your conversations about materials and finishes?

Does contemporary practice still leave space for artistic exploration in low-level illumination?

What challenges arise when proposing designs that embrace shadow or subtlety?

As technology offers ever more control over light, how can we design with equal care for darkness?

These reflections opened a broader dialogue on the human experience of light and shadow, how adaptation, restraint, and sensitivity to darkness can shape meaning and emotion in architecture.

The evening continued with open conversation, Italian wine, and shared insights among colleagues and friends, a reminder that lighting design, at its most profound, is as much about what we choose not to illuminate.

Technical sponsors: ERCO, SDA, CASAMBI