Uh, my eyes are up here

The airplane interior is fed up, it’s sick of being subjected to the focused gawking and disrespectful gazes of those who are supposed to know it better than anybody else. Every time it gets a new outfit of photonic fashion, people come in and stare; they don’t even care, they just stare.

Ok, so a little background might be in order here…

The cabin of an airplane, its interior, is a beautiful and sensual place. It has many perfectly designed curves and shapes that are pleasing to the eye. It’s in many ways, a work of art. And it knows that. It also knows that its curves are to be appreciated. The trouble is, whenever the interior rocks a new outfit, people just stare at certain parts. They stare at the ceiling panel, the bin face, the valence, the top of the sidewalls…geesh! All the interior really wants is to be view as a whole cohesive entity. It wants its new outfit to be taken in as a whole ensemble of beauty. If only the people could enjoy the interior without fixating on its individual parts all the time…if only…

The interior is much more than the sum of its parts; when lit up with new lighting, it should be received into the mind like the sound of the ocean; directly, yet indirectly. Lighting’s effects and purposes should not always be obvious. Like many things of beauty, some of the impact of a properly lit aircraft interior is in its subtlety. Passengers shouldn’t paw at it with their eyes like a bear digging for food, but rather enter the space, relax, and enjoy it while behaving as they normally would during any other experience. This is where the true power and beauty of good lighting shines.

Admittedly, nice shapes draw the eye toward them, bringing attention to themselves, but we should appreciate them and then move on. Move on to the whole picture, the entire experience. The interior thinks passenger’s relationship to it will improve dramatically, and many unfortunate judgments will fall away. Let the lighting come to you, don’t force it; the resulting intimacy will reveal more about the interior, and provide a better experience overall.