arc issue 146

#146

Cover Story: Thames City, UK

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Welcome

If you’ve seen me out and about over the last month or so and thought “wow, he seems really calm and composed, and even more cool than normal”, I want you to think of the noble swan ‒serene and graceful on the surface, but paddling like mad just beneath the water (OK, I admit, I’m probably more of a scabby duck than a swan, but the metaphor still stands). I might be completely making up this expression, but I believe it has been said that a busy schedule sharpens the mind; if this is true then my mind should be as sharp as the sword of Andúril, for those who know their Lord of the Rings lore (my Managing Editor is probably screaming ‘what are you on about??’ at this point. Sorry Helen).

So, what have we been so busy with that it’s got me speaking in insane metaphors? Well, in the past couple of months alone we’ve had: the 10th anniversary edition of the [d]arc awards, my first visit to Milan Design Week, [d]arc sessions, this time on the beautiful island of Ibiza, and Clerkenwell Design Week. I also took a probably mistimed but much needed (and very lovely) holiday to Crete with the family for a week in amongst this!

It goes without saying, but an enormous thanks to everybody who came to any of these events and showed their support for all of the work that we are doing here at [d]arc media. With a relatively small team, it’s never easy pulling it all together, but the rewards of seeing this industry coming together in celebration of the intangible power of light is always worth it, so thank you.

What all this activity means is that it has been a bit of a whirlwind few weeks pulling this latest issue together for you, however I’m delighted with the content that we have in store for you. To use an old sporting parlance (and to continue with the metaphors), they say that pressure makes diamonds, and if I may say so myself, there are more than a few jewels for you to discover over the next 130 or so pages. As well as recaps of the many, many events we’ve been at/running ‒ including an exclusive interview with Lachlan Turczan, the artist behind Google’s Making the Invisible Visible exhibition in Milan ‒ we’ve got some fantastic features where we speak with the likes of Foundry, Speirs Major Light Architecture, Equation, DesignPlusLight, Fisher Marantz Stone, and the incredible Tupac Martir.

Enjoy the issue!

Matt Waring Editor

Front cover: Thames City, UK (Image: James Newton)

Inside this issue

Regulars

Event Diary

Drawing Board

In Conversation

Cherine Saroufim tells arc about the recent ALBA Lighting Workshop.

Snapshot

Dolce e Luce Lighting Design

Manufacturer Case Studies

A selection of exterior projects from lighting manufacturers.

Silhouette Awards

This year’s mentors share their perspective of the mentor/mentee journey.

GreenLight Alliance

A range of professionals across the supply chain assess the challenges faced in realising a circular economy.

Bucket List

Graham Rollins

Eye Openers

Serpentine Pavilion

Aecom

Lumen Drift

Jestico + Whiles / StudioFractal

Our Illuminated Reflection

Liz West Olympic

Features

[d]arc sessions

A look back on the latest [d]arc sessions, held in Ibiza, Spain

Clerkenwell Design Week

With events happening across the district, we recap our activity from a busy Clerkenwell Design Week.

Tupac Martir

The artist and design extraordinnaire shares his journey into light.

[d]arc awards

This April, we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the [d]arc awards.

International Year of Light

We revisit IYL 2015 and look back on its legacy, 10 years later.

Milan Design Week

Our top finds from Milan, as well as the thoughts of top industry experts.

Making the Invisible Visible

An exclusive chat with the artist behind Google’s amazing installation.

Euroluce

Product highlights from the Milan fair.

Wine Architecture

arc and Daisalux explored the relationship between good wine and good architecture.

Projects

Thames City, UK

Foundry & Equation Lighting

Dom Tower, Netherlands

Speirs Major Light Architecture

National World War I Memorial & Pershing Park, USA

Fisher Marantz Stone

College Road,

DesignPlusLight

KIISS-L

End-to-end linear system featuring KKDC refurbishment scheme with screw-fixed LED modules for simple replacement and recycling.

Events Diary

JUNE

IALD Enlighten Europe 26-27 June Valencia, Spain www.iald.org

AUGUST

LEDforum

20-22 August Sao Paulo, Brazil www.ledforum.com.br

IES25 The Lighting Conference 21-23 August Anaheim, USA www.ies.org

SEPTEMBER

Plasa 7-9 September London, UK www.plasashow.com

ArchLIGHT Summit

16-17 September Dallas, USA www.archlightsummit.com

Circular Lighting Live 25 September London, UK www.circularlightinglive.com

OCTOBER

IALD Enlighten Americas 9-11 October Tucson, USA www.iald.org

[d]arc sessions Asia 14-17 October Langkawi, Malaysia www.darcsessions.com

Hong Kong International Lighting Fair 27-30 October Hong Kong, China www.hktdc.com

NOVEMBER

LiGHT 25 19-20 November London, UK www.lightexpo.london

HIX

26-27 November London, UK www.hixevent.com

Light + Intelligent Building Istanbul 27-29 November Istanbul, Türkiye www.light-building-istanbul.tr.messefrankfurt.com

JANUARY 2026

Light + Intelligent Building Middle East 12-14 January Dubai, UAE www.light-middle-east.ae.messefrankfurt.com

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor

Helen Ankers h.ankers@mondiale.co.uk

Editor

Matt Waring m.waring@mondiale.co.uk

Junior Journalist

Ellie Walton e.walton@mondiale.co.uk

Contributing Editor

Sarah Cullen s.cullen@mondiale.co.uk

COMMERCIAL

Managing Director

Paul James p.james@mondiale.co.uk

Head of Business Development

Jason Pennington j.pennington@mondiale.co.uk

International Account Manager

Andrew Bousfield a.bousfield@mondiale.co.uk

International Account Manager

Ethan Holt e.holt@mondiale.co.uk

Events & Marketing Manager

Moses Naeem m.naeem@mondiale.co.uk

DESIGN

Design Manager

David Bell d.bell@mondiale.co.uk

Design Jez Reid j.reid@mondiale.co.uk

Production Mel Capper m.capper@mondiale.co.uk

CORPORATE

Chairman

Damian Walsh d.walsh@mondiale.co.uk

Finance Director

Amanda Giles a.giles@mondiale.co.uk

Credit Control

Lynette Levi l.levi@mondiale.co.uk

[d]arc media ltd

Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, United Kingdom T: +44 (0)161 464 4750 www.arc-magazine.com ISSN 1753-5875

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Serpentine Pavilion

London, UK

Aecom has completed the delivery of the Serpentine Pavilion project for a 12th consecutive year as the scheme’s technical advisor and project manager.

Established in 2000, the Serpentine Pavilion is one of the UK’s leading architectural programmes, challenging renowned international architects to create a temporary structure at the Serpentine within London’s Kensington Gardens. Designed and built within a matter of months, the Pavilion offers a platform for experimental design and engineering, pushing the boundaries of materials, sustainability and construction innovation.

A quarter of a century since the inception of the Serpentine Pavilion programme, this year’s commission for the lawns of the Serpentine South Gallery was designed by internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi architect and educator Marina Tabassum and her firm, Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA). Aecom has provided multidisciplinary engineering, project management and

technical advisory services for the structure, collaborating closely with the architect, the Serpentine and specialist contractor Stage One to realise the distinct design vision.

Marina Tabassum’s design, A Capsule in Time, draws inspiration from the movement of light and people, and the architectural language of Shamiyana tents or awnings of South Asia. It comprises four wooden capsules with a translucent façade that diffuses and dapples the light infiltrating the space. A tree in the central courtyard symbolises our connection with nature and the surrounding parkland.

Central to Tabassum’s design is a kinetic element where one of the capsule forms is able to move, operated hydraulically on rails, to bring greater flexibility to the Pavilion’s event spaces.

Jon Leach, Director at Aecom, said: “It was a joy to bring the vision for this year’s Pavilion to life, working closely with Marina and her team, the Serpentine and Stage One. We’ve delivered a modular design to create

a lightweight, versatile space adaptable for different uses and events, and have substantially reduced the embodied carbon of the structure through the re-purposing of transportable foundations from a previous pavilion, emphasising our commitment to making the pavilions as demountable and reusable as possible.”

Aecom also delivered the lighting design for the pavilion, working with Zumtobel to enhance its architectural presence after dark. The lighting balances general illumination for the internal space with carefully placed accents that highlight the architectural features, creating visual interest after dark, while ensuring a balanced interplay of light and shadow, and a structured flow into the space.

Speaking of the lighting concept, Aecom added: “The lighting design seeks to emphasise the clean lines of the canopy and creates an ethereal glow, with the cable and control systems carefully hidden from view.”

www.aecom.com

Image: © Marina Tabassum Architects (MTA), Photo Iwan Baan, Courtesy: Serpentine

IN CONVERSATION

This June, the ALBA Lighting Installation Workshop returned to Lebanon. Exploring the technical and creative applications of light as a medium, its goal is to bring the power of light to a broader range of emerging desingers. Its founder, Cherine Saroufim, tells arc about the workshop’s beginnings, and growth in year two.

What is the ALBA Lighting Workshop?

It is an annual, hands-on educational initiative hosted by the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) Beirut – Lebanon. It focuses on the creative, technical, and contextual exploration of light through large-scale installations. The workshop brings together students from multiple design disciplines to collaborate, experiment, and develop site-specific lighting interventions that engage both space and audience.

How and why was the workshop created?

The workshop was created in response to the limited exposure to practical lighting education in Lebanese and regional design curricula. As a lighting designer and educator teaching at ALBA for the past 17 years, I felt the need to introduce students to the spatial and emotional power of light – not just as a technical component, but as a narrative and experiential medium. The workshop aims to inspire critical thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and a more intentional use of light in design.

What was your ambition for the workshop when first establishing it?

The ambition was to create a platform that goes beyond traditional classroom teaching, a space where students could physically engage with light and material, work in teams, and discover how lighting can transform perception, emotion, and context. I wanted to create an immersive experience that introduces students to real-world lighting design challenges and encourages them to push creative boundaries.

Last year was the first edition, how have you built on the workshop for this year?

The most significant evolution this year has been scaling up participation: we’ve doubled the number of students from 25 to 50, and we’re welcoming students from other Lebanese design universities for the first time. While Dr. Amardeep Dugar participated in last year’s edition, this year we are consolidating the workshop’s structure, expanding the diversity of student profiles, and offering a richer, more layered collaborative experience.

Why is it so important for you to engage students and universities in lighting design?

What disciplines are the students coming from?

Lighting is too often seen as secondary or purely technical, when in fact it is central to spatial experience. By engaging students from

architecture, interior design, fashion, animation, and visual arts, we are not only elevating awareness about lighting as a design discipline, but also creating a space for transdisciplinary experimentation. Universities are the ideal place to begin shifting mindsets and instilling a sensitivity to light’s impact on form, emotion, and human behaviour.

How has the workshop been received?

The response from students has been incredibly enthusiastic. Many describe the workshop as eyeopening – both literally and metaphorically. They value the tactile, team-based nature of the work and the opportunity to see their ideas come to life at scale. It’s a moment of creative empowerment that has inspired many to consider lighting more seriously in their careers.

How has the workshop been supported by those in the lighting industry?

The workshop has been strongly supported by the lighting industry, both in Lebanon and internationally. Our main sponsors include Zumtobel, iGuzzini and Simon Electric, which have been instrumental in providing lighting products, technical support, and visibility. In addition, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) and Women in Lighting (WIL) have endorsed and accompanied this initiative since its inception. Their involvement brings global relevance and professional credibility to the students’ work. We are compiling a full list of supporting sponsors and contributors, which we will be happy to share.

How can people get involved in the event next year?

Yes, we are currently preparing for the third edition in 2026, which will expand into an international format. We plan to invite design universities from across the GCC and MENA region to participate with their own student teams. The goal is to create a regional platform for lighting education and exchange.

Anyone interested in collaborating – as an academic partner, industry sponsor, or mentor – can reach us at lighting@alba.edu.lb. We are building a vibrant and inclusive network around light, and we welcome all who believe in its power. www.alba.edu.lb

CHERINE SAROUFIM

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Snapshot Dolce e Luce Lighting Design

Since 2018, Rome-based Dolce e Luce Lighting Design has harnessed a delicate balance of light and shadow on projects that span architectural lighting and art installations.

Stryker Reception

Rome, Italy

The lighting design of Stryker’s reception area – headquarters of a global leader in medical technologies – is conceived as an integral part of the architecture, going far beyond its technical function. Light enhances and amplifies a bold architectural feature, transforming the space into a visually striking environment. It integrates with a strong, recognisable architectural gesture – almost graphic in nature – a line, a geometry that is not merely aesthetic but becomes a true visual identity. The result is a space where architecture and light merge into a single, coherent, and narrative-driven gesture. This fusion of corporate identity, architecture, graphic design, and lighting creates a visual language that transforms the reception into an immersive experience. Visual communication unfolds in three dimensions: graphic design becomes space. In this context, lighting is not an accessory but a core component of the design concept. It is meant to be seen, felt, and experienced – a system that translates light into language, space into experience, and the reception into a three-dimensional manifesto of Stryker’s brand identity – an identity that is innovative, sophisticated, and committed to excellence.

Image: courtesy Natura e Architettura

Historic gardens of Villa Borghese Nettuno, Italy

Villa Bell’Aspetto in Nettuno is a historic garden, where natural landscape, botany, and architecture blend harmoniously in a setting overlooking the sea. The villa is situated on a prominent hill, offering a breathtaking view that gives the property its name – Bell’Aspetto, meaning “beautiful view.” Built in the 17th century, the villa is surrounded by a large 41-hectare park. A fine example of an Italian Renaissance garden, it features symmetrical paths, geometric flower beds, and boxwood and laurel hedges. The lighting design for Villa Bell’Aspetto aims to merge architectural and landscape aesthetics with the nighttime usability of the outdoor spaces. The design approach is driven by a deep respect for the natural

environment and the flora and fauna that inhabit the park. The lighting choices are based on a careful balance of light and shadow, with intensity and colour temperature calibrated to protect the ecosystem and ensure seamless integration into the surroundings, with no visual impact by day or by night. Light becomes a poetic tool that enhances the intrinsic qualities of the site, transforming the gardens and the villa façade into evocative backdrops for evening visits and performances. The goal is to reveal hidden glimpses of beauty during the night, guiding the gaze toward perspectives and details that may go unnoticed in daylight. In this way, light assumes a narrative and immersive role, accompanying visitors along the pathways, creating atmospheres, adding depth to spaces, and evoking emotion. This project restores depth and poetry to the space, keeping alive, even at night, the “splendid view” that made the villa famous through the centuries. Image: Luca Adami

Vela di Calatrava

Rome, Italy

The “Vela di Calatrava”, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava in 2005 and located in the Tor Vergata district of Rome, has been brought back to life after 20 years of abandonment, thanks to an ambitious urban regeneration project. The Vela now acts as a symbol of both urban and spiritual renewal for the Eternal City.

A key element of this rebirth is the new artistic lighting, designed to enhance the monumental plasticity of the structure and integrate it harmoniously into the landscape. The lighting guides the gaze along the architectural levels, transforming the structure into a living body, in constant dialogue with the sky and the passage of time. The project narrates the natural cycle of the sun, the moon, and the stars, evoking a symbolic journey towards the future. The play of lights begins with warm tones, reminiscent of sunset, gradually evolving into a white light that recalls the waxing moon. The tones progressively cool down, becoming lighter and fresher, passing through shades of sky blue and deep blue, evoking

the image of a starry sky, and slowly fades, returning the structures to darkness.

The technical solution involves 33 adjustable LED projectors, equipped with very narrow optics to precisely illuminate only the intended surfaces and avoid light pollution. The RGBW projectors, controlled by a DMX system, allow for fine-tuned adjustment of white tones and a wide colour spectrum, enabling customised light shows for special events such as Jubilee 2025. The entire system is fully selfsufficient, powered by photovoltaic panels.

Image: Luca Adami

Esa ESRIN Office Building 14 Frascati, Italy

Building 14 at the ESRIN Center of the European Space Agency (ESA) stands as a model of excellence in sustainable architecture and workplace wellbeing. Completely renovated in 2021, the building achieved LEED Platinum and WELL Platinum certifications in 2023, earning a score of 99 points for the WELL certification – the highest in the European Union and the 11th highest worldwide.

Building 14 offers flexible spaces that support both collaboration and focused work. This is made possible through the use of sound-absorbing materials, indoor greenery, and the intelligent use of artificial lighting, ensuring optimal visual comfort.

The lighting design approach is based on two fundamental principles: maximising natural light and optimising artificial lighting to provide excellent visual quality while reducing energy consumption. Special attention is given to the wellbeing of occupants, with lighting specifically designed to minimise glare and enhance visual perception – key factors in boosting productivity and reducing eye strain.

Lighting thus plays a vital role in creating a stimulating and healthy work environment, aligned with WELL standards that emphasise the importance of light quality for human health. ESA ESRIN’s Building 14 stands as a virtuous example of how technological innovation can harmoniously integrate with environmental sustainability and human wellbeing, offering a replicable model for the future of smart buildings.

Image: Luca Adami

Founded in Rome in 2018 by Barbora Nacarova, Dolce e Luce Lighting Design is an independent, internationally recognised lighting design studio. The practice develops high-quality lighting experiences, ranging from architectural lighting to bespoke product design and light art installations. Driven by a deep sensitivity to the emotional power of light, the studio draws inspiration from the Italian concept of chiaroscuro – the poetic interplay of light and shadow – to shape spatial atmospheres that evoke feeling and depth.

At Dolce e Luce Lighting Design Studio, there is a strong belief that good lighting design is essential to the success of any space. The studio blends creativity, technology, sustainability, and innovation to create lighting solutions that are both technically refined and emotionally resonant. www.dolceeluce.com

[d]arc sessions

This May, our popular networking and specifying event, [d]arc sessions, returned to Europe for its eighth edition. Taking over the beautiful Melia Hotel in Ibiza, Spain, we welcomed 180 lighting professionals from across Europe for three days of networking.

In early May, the eighth edition of [d]arc sessions, the increasingly popular networking and specifying event from [d]arc media, took place on the Spanish isle of Ibiza, at the stunning Melia Hotel.

Overlooking the Balearic Sea, (on the “quiet side” of the island, we are told…) the Melia was a beautiful location to welcome lighting specifiers and suppliers from across Europe and beyond for three days of business and pleasure, in what was the largest edition of [d]arc sessions to date.

Around 180 delegates, spanning lighting designers, interior designers, architects, and manufacturers came together for a vibrant exchange of ideas, with attendees keen to make new connections, catch up with old friends, and make the most of [d]arc sessions’ intimate and inviting atmosphere.

Across three days, the event followed its usual format of interspersing its intense, speed datingstyle, 20-minute meetings between suppliers and specifiers, with informal, yet informative, panel discussions, where delegates could discuss some of the most trenchant issues in the lighting sphere at the moment.

Topics for these panels included: “Lighting Business Transformation Through the Years”, with

panelists Fabiana Nery, Glare UK, Zoi Katsarou, Cristian Miola Lighting, and Birgit Walter, BMLD; “The Relationship Between Lighting and Wellbeing” with Pauline David, Light is More, Daniel Blaker, Nulty, and Lara Elbaz, ElbazGildemontes; and “The Role of Interactive Lighting in Fostering Sociability in Urban Spaces”, with Mahdis Aliasgari, Lighting Design Collective, Alison Gallagher, dpa lighting consultants, and Dorit Bagehorn, Aecom. Across these varied topics, conversation flowed from conceptions of safety in the urban realm, sensory-based design, and, of course, the emergence of AI in design. Each panel raised a number of talking points for their respective panelists, oftentimes becoming more akin to group-therapy sessions than industry discussions. As has become something of a tradition at [d]arc sessions, the Keynote presentation this time around was delivered by the winner of this year’s Best of the Best [d]arc award. As such, Ellie Cozens of Foundry took attendees on a tour around the studio’s amazing work on London’s Thames City development – a sprawling urban project that included green spaces, façade lighting, public realm and private amenity spaces in one

Images: Gavriil Papadiotis

comprehensive, yet serene lighting scheme (read more about this project later in this issue).

On the subject of [d]arc sessions traditions, at the end of each day’s intense, yet productive meetings, delegates had some free time to relax by the pool, catch up on emails, or, as was the case on the final evening in Ibiza, take part in the annual [d]arc sessions Swim Club meet up – where attendees donned their swimsuits and braved the “refreshing” sea for a post-work dip. So committed are some delegates to the Swim Club, that they even brought their own, custom-printed Speedos.

Delegates then reconvened each evening to continue conversations and networking across evening meals and drinks receptions, set in picturesque locations across the resort, from a poolside deck to a rooftop terrace.

The final evening was spent at the nearby Cuyo Restaurant in Cala Longa, where guests were treated to delicious food, live music and dancing. With the official festivities drawing to a close, as the buses arrived to shuttle guests back to the hotel, some delegates fully immersed themselves into the Ibiza spirit, and took a detour to the island’s iconic Pacha nightclub, where the unofficial

[d]arc sessions afterparty continued long into the night, with guests riding high on the success of another captivating event.

The next [d]arc sessions event will take place at the Pelangi Beach Resort + Spa in Langkawi, Malaysia on 14-17 October, while we are also bringing the event to Cancun, Mexico for [d]arc sessions Americas on 2-5 June, 2026. Dates and location for the next European event will be confirmed soon. www.darcsessions.com

Clerkenwell Design Week

At the 14th edition of Clerkenwell Design Week, the [d]arc media team was active at a number of talks and events across the district. Here, we recap on some of our highlights from a busy week.

As Clerkenwell’s historic streets once again pulsed with creative energy for the 14th edition of Clerkenwell Design Week, the festival reaffirmed its place as a highlight of the global design calendar. Across three days, the London district played host to a vibrant mix of installations, exhibitions, and conversations that celebrated innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration.

For arc magazine, this year’s CDW was particularly meaningful, as we participated in and hosted several thought-provoking talks and inspiring partnerships that spotlighted the evolving role of light in design. From moderating a powerful discussion on inclusive design with Zaha Hadid Architects and Erco, to exploring harmony in design with Artemide in our ‘Design In Balance’ panel, and hosting a book launch for a particularly well-known lighting designer, our editorial team was at the heart of the dialogue this year. Here’s a rundown of what went on.

A standout moment for arc had to be the opportunity to participate in a deeper, more meaningful conversation around the role of design in fostering inclusivity. In collaboration with renowned architectural studio Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) and German lighting manufacturer Erco, arc Editor Matt Waring moderated a thoughtprovoking panel at ZHA’s London headquarters.

The discussion, titled ‘Inclusive Design: Space, Light + Perception’, explored how design can move beyond accessibility checklists to help create environments that are truly welcoming for all. The panel brought together leading voices from across architecture, lighting, and inclusive design, including Amy Rennie (Buro Happold), Katie Gaudion (Royal College of Art), Bidisha Sinha (Zaha Hadid Architects), and Jim Ashley-Down (Erco), with each offering their experiences and knowledge of working with a range of projects from schools to museums.

Reflecting on the conversation, Ashley-Down, Managing Director of Erco UK & Ireland, notes: “I felt we were able to explore some of the most important, and often overlooked, aspects of a complex and evolving subject. What stood out

to me is that when it comes to inclusive design, there isn’t a single, definitive answer. Lighting plays a fundamental role in shaping how people perceive and navigate space, making it a critical component in creating environments that welcome and support everyone.” Ashley-Down’s words serve as a reminder that true inclusivity isn’t about reaching a final destination, but about maintaining a commitment to learning, listening, and improving – a mindset the entire panel echoed throughout the session.

On day two, [d]arc media’s partnership with Italian lighting brand, Artemide, saw Managing Editor, Helen Ankers, host ‘Design in Balance’, a thoughtful discussion on the intersection of beauty, performance, and sustainability, particularly in lighting and design. Hosted at The Senator Group, the lunchtime session brought together an inspiring panel of designers and artists, including architect Karen Cook (Spice Design), artist Liz West, and lighting designers Victoria Jerram (Victoria Jerram Lighting Design) and Clementine FletcherSmith (Spiers Major Light Architecture). Together, they unpacked the complex balancing act that sits at the heart of contemporary design practice. Each speaker offered a unique perspective on how they negotiate creativity and constraints in their work.

Reflecting on her approach, Karen Cook notes: “Helen asked us what the most important considerations are in our designs and what we are not willing to compromise on, and I believe people inhabiting a space require clarity of form to feel well in their space. Light plays a fundamental role in defining and expressing that clarity of form.”

This idea of light as both a practical and poetic tool was echoed throughout the conversation, from Liz West’s sensory-driven installations to Victoria Jerram and Clementine Fletcher-Smith’s insights into crafting atmospheres that are emotionally resonant and technically precise. The discussion highlighted the importance of freedom in design, as well as the intricacies around balancing client expectations with creating spaces that consider aesthetics, functionality, and connection.

Top: Inclusive Design: Space Light + Perception - a collaboration between Zaha Hadid Architects and Erco, in partnership with [d]arc media.

Bottom: [d]arc media partnered with Artemide to present Design in Balance, a panel discussion on the balancing act of contemporary design practice.

Image: Luke Hayes

Image: Redshift Media Production

Image: Anna Lozian

Image: Sam Frost

Image: Redshift Media Production

Image: Anna Lozian

As part of the Design Meets programme, [d]arc media hosted a panel discussion and networking brunch in collaboration with Women in Lighting, Women Lighting Professionals, Women in Architecture, and Women in Office Design. For our third event partnering with these women in industry groups we focused in on the importance of mentorship and positive role models.

Speakers Carmela Dagnello of Flos, Rachael Davidson of Smiths and Kimberly Bartlett of Introba shared their personal experiences of mentorship and role models both positive and negative, and discussed in more detail some of the challenges still being faced by women in the design industry. The audience was given key ideas and advice on how they can access support and guidance through mentoring programmes, how they can support women coming up in the industry and more; all with the goal of seeing more women leading in business and working to breaking down the prejudices still being experienced.

One of the joys of Clerkenwell Design Week is stumbling upon something unexpected, and this year’s art installations did not disappoint, offering playful, provocative interventions throughout the district. In the House of Detention, visitors encountered Feel the Pull by PixelArtworks, a magnetic multisensory installation where light and sound responded to invisible forces, creating a hypnotic environment that pulsed, shifted and pulled you deeper.

Elsewhere, architectural practice Jestico + Whiles presented Lumen Drift in Sutton Yard, an evocative collaboration with Architainment Lighting and Studio Fractal. The piece invited visitors to follow the real-life path of Mary Moore and Ann Wade, two women wrongfully imprisoned in Clerkenwell prison and later exiled to Australia, through a tactile forest of illuminated fabrics. Blending narrative, texture, and light, the installation created a poignant journey through history. In keeping with its socially conscious message, materials from Lumen Drift will be donated to the social enterprise Matt + Fiona, with structural elements repurposed for use in Jestico + Whiles’ studio.

The highly anticipated [d]arc thoughts talks programme, sponsored by David Village Lighting, also returned to the House of Detention, with arc hosting conversations with the likes of Conran and Partners, Concrete Amsterdam, dpa lighting consultants, and more.

The former Clerkenwell prison also served as the backdrop for the official launch of Stories with Light, a new book written by acclaimed UK lighting designer, Michael Grubb and journalist Francis Pearce. Hosted by [d]arc media, the event was supported by Applelec and GENLED Acolyte, who also worked with Michael Grubb Studio to provide illuminated illustrations from the book. Described by its authors as a “cabinet of curiosities”, the book blends storytelling, scientific insights, and cultural commentary to explore light’s multifaceted role in shaping our world, from the everyday to the extraordinary. During a relaxed Q&A session, Grubb and Pearce shared their inspiration for the project and reflected on the unexpected intersections between lighting, design, and human experience. Although not intended to be an academic book, it took five years to complete as the pair got lost in their fascination and commitment to delivering truths from the world of light. The book launch finished with an informal drinks party, where fellow designers and industry professionals gathered to celebrate the launch. Reflecting on the book launch, Michael Grubb says: “Launching the book in a Victorian prison was the perfect setting for a story full of eccentric characters, historic events and bizarre ideas. It meant a great deal to have so many familiar faces in the audience, from clients and design team partners to long-time friends in the industry. Like the book, everyone who attended had a connection with light.

“We were genuinely overwhelmed by the response and enjoyed the open and honest discussion around the creative journey and the challenges of getting it into print. A huge thank you to everyone who came and made it such a memorable night.”

Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 was once again a celebration of design in all its forms – both inclusive and, above all, thoughtful. From thoughtprovoking panels, immersive installations, and celebratory moments, the week offered a reminder of how design connects us all through collaboration, curiosity, and the ability to challenge the status quo. For arc, it was a privilege to help facilitate these conversations and champion the designers and ideas pushing the industry forward. www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com

Images (Clockwise from Top Left): Michael Grubb & Francis Pearce talk about new book, Stories With Light; Clementine Fletcher-Smith, Karen Cook, and Victoria Jerram reflect on their Design In Balance discussion; Women in Industry brunch discussion on the role of mentors; arc Editor Matt Waring in conversation with Hannah Miragliotta of Conran & Partners on the art of layered lighting; the illuminated Stories with Light panels, created by Applelec and GENLED Acolyte, in collaboration with Michael Grubb Studio; [d]arc media Managing Editor Helen Ankers moderates a panel on the Hotelification of the Workspace, with designers Beata Denton (Reflex Arkitekter), Gurvinder Khurana (M Moser Associates), and John Williams (SpaceInvader); Feel the Pull, a multisensory installation created by PixelArtworks.

Image: Jestico + Whiles

Lumen Drift London, UK

At Clerkenwell Design Week, architecture and interior design studio Jestico + Whiles launched immersive installation, Lumen Drift, which was inspired by the extraordinary journey of Mary Moore and Ann Wade, which began 200 years ago in Clerkenwell. Convicted of stealing clothes from a haberdashery on Goswell Road, close to the site of Jestico + Whiles’ studio, the two girls, aged 15 and 16, were forced to endure a gruelling 140-day sea voyage to Australia. There, they began new lives.

Following the success of PLUS, last year’s installation for Clerkenwell Design Week created by Jestico + Whiles, Lumen Drift took form of a spatial sculpture, and this year was located within Jestico + Whiles’ studio space at Sutton Yard, recalling the practice’s award-winning 2018 installation, Aperture

The installation was created by hand and inhouse, using materials from the family-owned furniture manufacturer Martínez Otero with lighting from Studio Fractal and Architainment. The installation was fully interactive, with visitors able to walk through it and interact with it. In line with circular design principles, the materials from Lumen Drift will be re-used by the architecture educators Matt + Fiona, as part of their work giving young people hands-on experience in shaping the built environment.

James Dilley, Director at Jestico + Whiles, said:

“The installation references a fascinating event buried under layers of history in this quintessential London village. The team here at J+W has found an extraordinary way to bring the story to life”. www.jesticowhiles.com www.studiofractal.co.uk

“What I enjoy most about light is how ephemeral it is. As an artist, you always try to tap into your audience’s emotions and memories, and I think light is one of the true mediums in which that happens.”

Tupac Martir

Fresh off star turns at IALD Enlighten Americas and Disruptia Madrid, artist and design extraordinnaire Tupac Martir has become a must-see presence in the lighting world. arc sits down with Martir to learn more about his interest in light, and his vastly diverse areas of expertise.

Martir speaking at Netherlands Film Festival (Image: Ramon Mangold)

Every once in a while, you come across a designer that stops you in your tracks. Someone with a portfolio of work so awe-inspiring, eclectic and diverse, with the kind of character to match, that you just have to drop everything that you are doing and get to know them.

One such designer is Tupac Martir – founder and Creative Director of Satore Studio. After a standout presentation at IALD Enlighten Europe in 2024, followed by a keynote session at IALD Enlighten Americas in San Diego, and more recently taking part in the latest Disruptia event, led by Light Collective, in Madrid, Martir is a must-see on any talks programme, thanks to his unique approach to art, technology, and design.

Based in Lisbon, with a satellite office in the UK, Martir’s work with Satore Studio spans live performances, fashion shows, art installations, and architectural lighting, with his multidisciplinary studio always looking at new ways to combine design and technology to bring bold, beautiful concepts to life and deliver dazzling, memorable virtual experiences to audiences worldwide. Across the full scope of his work though, Martir has always sought to push the boundaries of what is possible.

In an exclusive interview with arc, he says: “I always have this joke – if it is a challenge, if it’s difficult and you say, ‘how are we going to pull this off?’, I’m your guy.

“There was a time where I was never the first designer to get called in. I was always the second designer, called in a moment of panic. I remember talking to my mum, and she asked me ‘how come every time I talk to you, you are doing a job that is last minute and panicked?’ I said, ‘because that is when they call me’. She said, ‘well, why don’t they call you from the beginning?’ I don’t know, mum.

“But I think I made a reputation of exactly that; if it’s weird, if it’s quirky, if it has a lot of challenges, then I get those jobs. But the challenge is the part that I enjoy.”

Challenging himself is something that has been true of Martir even dating back to his studies.

A student at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, his initial interest was in Photography and Psychology, but true to his multi-disciplinary approach, this very quickly expanded.

“Photography was going to be my minor, and psychology my major; within a semester, I realised that I had it wrong, and I wanted to make photography my main thing,” he recalls.

“When I arrived at college in my first semester, one of the reasons why I went there was to study under Father Don Doll, who is a photographer for National Geographic. In my first semester, I couldn’t take his class, as I was just a freshman, but then he gave me a pass.

“That is when I realised that actually what I want to do is art. So, immediately, I had to go back and do the basic courses of art. And people usually take art courses as their electives, but because I was doing art, my electives became Calc Three, and Physics, while I was going through the basics of art – drawing, life drawing, painting, sculpture. Here, I ran into a beautiful man by the name of John Thein, who took me under his wing and became my

mentor. Through him, I discovered painting, and suddenly the world just opens up. I would say that this is where the journey of my multidiscipline-ness comes from.

“Even though I went to a really small school that is not known for the arts, I was very privileged, because I had John, who saw me and thought, ‘I’m going to make an artist out of you’. Because of that passion that he had for me, it made all the other professors more aware of what I was trying to do.

“In my last year of school, my two main professors would come in and critique my work every two weeks, but they would always invite somebody else from the faculty in – sometimes it would be an art historian, or someone working in digital art. I went to a Jesuit school, and I had a brilliant professor who taught me God in Humans; as a Jesuit telling me ‘As a man of faith, I believe in this book, but as a man who understands the world is everything, I believe in science’, that element of it opened up really interesting conversations around the work that I was doing.

“The ethos of Satore Studio comes from a place of exploration; it’s a space in which all the arts are welcome, in which science and technology are welcome. It all comes from what I would call the humanity that exists in the studio.”

Nierka

“And so, that has always cemented the foundations of what I do as an artist, and what we do as a studio. If we jump forward to where I am right now and all the work that I’m doing in so many different, varied elements, it’s because of that. It’s because I can see how the work that we’re doing, and the knowledge that we’re gathering in the studio, can be repurposed in so many different places, and how the knowledge that other people have can be brought back into some of the things that we’re doing.”

After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting, Drawing, Etching, Photography and Digital Art (with a minor in Religion and Philosophy, no less), Martir “jumped around” a few different places, before starting work at the Opera House in Mexico City, initially assisting another artist who specialised in working with paper but, as has been the case throughout his career, this soon expanded to a lot more.

“I did what I still call the weirdest Master’s in Theatre Design for Opera, because I never took a class, but I used to assist everybody, from the costume department, the wigs department, the makeup artist, the lighting designer, the video designer, the sound designer; at one point I assisted a conductor, I assisted a singer, a dancer –I worked across the entire element of what they did.

“Alongside this, I started doing events and parties in Mexico City – every week, we were hosting different parties, so I’m learning more about

lighting, about video, about how you make spaces, and how you think in a truly three-dimensional way, where also time and space are really important.”

Across his varied working career to this point, light had always been present, without necessarily taking centre stage. It wasn’t until he started working for MTV LATAM – eventually becoming Art Director at the tender age of 27 – that he started to really learn more and appreciate the power of light.

“At MTV LATAM, I was putting together something like 45 hours of content every single week, and having to learn how to use cameras, and how things were going to look on camera. One of the things that came from that was, at the time I was thinking more in terms of set design and prop design – I remembered making things that looked really cool, but when they were badly lit, they looked horrible. I remember seeing things done in which I didn’t do a great job, but the light was making it better. So, I said to myself, ‘I need to learn about light’. Because I was at MTV, I met a bunch of bands, and by meeting bands, I met their lighting designers, and their audio designers, and became embedded in that world.

“I said to a friend of mine one day that I really wanted to learn more about this, and he told me to go to the back of the stage, and speak to the guys working there, learn how to hang a lamp, how to put it together, learn the electronics of it all, do the training of a normal technician. He then said to me, ‘You think in three dimensionality in a way that none of us do. So, the moment that you understand how all that gets put together, your brain is going to be able to analyse how to programme and how to do all of these things’.”

With this additional knowledge now in place, Martir moved to the UK in 2009 to enrol at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama to study for his Master’s in theatre design. If things weren’t already going well for Martir, this is where his career truly took off, as his thesis project, Nierka, ended up being his first official show.

“The idea for Nierka was ‘I’m going to tell all of you where this is going. Screw just doing things in one way. We’re going to have opera singers, a children’s choir, an orchestra, two DJs, a five-piece rock band, and we’re going to have 15 dancers, and there’s going to be things moving, and there’s a combination of ballet and movement and painting and technology. And that almost sets up everything that I do. To the point that I always say the basis of what Satore Studio is, is based on the things that we did in Nierka.”

To that end, Martir explains that, since the official formation of Satore, he has always tried to foster a welcoming and collaborative spirit.

“I never meant to have a studio. But because I was starting to get booked so much, I wasn’t doing jobs anymore, I was designing them, and then sending freelancers to do it. So, my accountant said to me ‘you need to become incorporated, and you need to open a company’. It occurred very naturally, and it was very weird. God knows, HMRC hated my butt for two years, and they were correct to hate me, because I was out of my mind, I had no idea what I was doing.

Austin TV at Zocalo (Image: Daniel Patlan)

“I don’t like to say I take risks – a risk is a father or a mother who has to run through a bomb or a warzone to try and get food for their children. Me making a decision of red or blue is not a risk, it’s an educated decision.”

“This is where Nierka and Satore are so tied together, because the ethos of the studio comes from a place of exploration; it’s a space in which all the arts are welcome, in which science and technology are welcome. It all comes from what I would call the humanity that exists in the studio.”

A prime example of this humanity is the presence of a fridge in each studio. But, unlike the fridge that might exist in any other office, this is not a place for staff to store their own lunch. Instead, it is always full of food that the team orders in, so that staff always have whatever they need.

“Your wage is your wage; you should not be using your wage to pay for your lunch while you are here. I take care of you, because I know that you are taking care of me,” Martir explains. “And so, this makes us have lunch together every day, and it generates a completely different type of camaraderie that wouldn’t exist otherwise, where you can sit down with colleagues who are working on different projects, and find out more about each other.

“I never say that we are a family, because families are dysfunctional as hell, let’s be honest. It’s more like-minded people coming together, like being in a social club.

“You are always going to have options of where you want to go and work, where you’re going to spend your time, the people that you’re going to spend your time with. You can sometimes hit the triple jackpot and get paid very well, do amazing work, and have a lot of fun doing it. The reality is sometimes you have to pick one or two of these, but I always thought that at least the place should be fun.”

This approach also extends to Martir’s “mission statement” for the studio as well. Elaborating, he adds: “It has to be a place of creativity, a place of openness. It has to be a place where technology is acknowledged as a collaborator. Nothing is permanent, and at the end of it all, it’s always about the humanity of things. There’s always been a joke

that I put humanity into technology, because I see it as a collaborator, but for me, those are the most important elements. And I hope that if you were to speak with people that passed through the studio, they would tell you what a good place it was to work and how big of a school it became.

“I had an entire conversation at one point with the guys at Epic in the middle of the pandemic, when my team was being stolen left, right, and centre, and I was like, ‘Guys, this is not fun’. They said ‘Yeah, it’s not fun for you, but it’s great for us, you make really good people’. Although it stings, you also take it as a source of pride, knowing that you’re preparing people to do good things and to think in a completely different way to what they’re used to.”

As a practice, Satore Studio has built an impressive, diverse body of work, including fashion collaborations with the likes of Alexander McQueen, Vivien Westwood and Prada, live music performances – including Beyoncé’s headline performance at Glastonbury Festival – and one-off art installations. Across all of this work, light plays an integral role, not only in enhancing the visual aspect, but in stirring up emotional responses in the viewer.

Martir adds: “What I enjoy most about light is how ephemeral it is. As an artist, you always try to find that conversation in which I am going to propose something, and I need you as an audience member to allow me to tap into your bag of emotions, and your bag of memories, so that we end up complementing the piece, and I think light is one of the true mediums in which that happens. “I can put a blue light at 35% on a tungsten source being shuttered in a certain way, and it’s going to create an emotion in you. I am making the emotion, but you create the emotion for yourself, and you draw it from your own experiences. So suddenly, everything is a collaboration between me and the audience.

“The reason why I love painting is because I make a single frame, and that’s it. The idea of lighting is almost like painting in motion, painting through time, which is beautiful. When you imagine some of those spaces in which the light comes in –the grandiosity of it or the hiddenness of it – it generates places where you want to go and see, and when it works with things like music, it can generate emotions in people that they had no clue about.”

Alongside his work in fashion, entertainment and the arts, Martir explains that Satore Studio does also work on more “traditional” architectural lighting projects. Although these still typically have a more artistic flair to them.

An example of this, Martir tells, was through a collaboration with Gucci. “We did a party for Gucci in a house near Piccadilly, and there was very little power. We weren’t able to bring a generator, and I needed to give a sense to each of the rooms, so I ended up changing all of the light sources throughout the house, buying 15W light bulbs, and then sitting downstairs with my paint and hand painting every single one of the lamps, so every room would have a different feel, based on me painting the lamps. It was very artisan.

Haita at Sonar, 2023 (Image: Mete Kaan Ozdilek)

Unique at Sonar (Image: Sergio Albert)

“When I work in architectural lighting, I come in and I change things that are there – usually coming in at stage one so that my work gets embedded with the architecture from the beginning. It’s funny though, because basically, I’m allowed in at stage one, I lead stage one from my side, stage two is when everybody else gets introduced, and then halfway through stage three, I’m not even allowed in the door. My nature is to keep changing things – the more things evolve, the more I want to do, and one of the things that I learned in architectural lighting is that once you’ve done your work in stages one and two, when we get into stage three, unless something major happens regarding the design intent, you’re not touching the design anymore. Congratulations, you’ll see it in five years.”

However, while Martir says that his nature is to change things as projects evolve, when reflecting on his overall approach to projects, he says that the main thrust of his ideas comes very quickly.

“Most of the time, I’ll get a brief, and the first thing that I want to do is talk to somebody, before I even start imaging what I want to do; I’ll talk to the director or the fashion designer or the production company. I need to have that crowning element right away, so that I understand my boundaries, and understand what elements I have in my toolbox, and what the things are that I need to worry about, my restrictions – usually these are things like power, budget, height – and then from there I start working around it.

“The reality of it is I’ll probably have 90% of my design done in the first five minutes. The main element is done really quickly, because I can understand what I need, and then I’ll go into the boutique elements and refine everything according to what we’re trying to do, especially with light.”

This immediacy is something that Martir puts down to his varied background, and in particular his ‘Jack of all Trades’ time at the Opera House in Mexico City. “All the work that I’ve done in 3D worlds, whether it was sculpture, set design, all these elements have given me the opportunity to understand. A lot of it comes from having done every single job at the Opera House to understand what elements will make something good.

“I don’t like to say I take risks – a risk is a father or a mother who has to run through a bomb or a warzone to try and get food for their children. Me making a decision of red or blue is not a risk, it’s an educated decision. But I feel very comfortable with the tools that I have at my disposal. I study a lot, I read a lot, my brain is stimulated on a regular basis about the possibilities of what can be done.”

Reflecting on such possibilities, Martir cites his collaborations with Alexander McQueen and Vivian Westwood as particular highlights – “these are icons that go beyond fashion, and have transformed the landscape of culture and arts”. His collaboration with McQueen was for Plato’s Atlantis, which would become the fashion designer’s final show.

Martir speaking at IALD Enlighten Americas, 2024 (Image: Jeff Antos, Edin Studios, courtesy of IALD)

Not only light It’s following shapes

Tracker

GOES WITH THE FLOW

Tracker follows fluid architecture with a mobility of a spine.

Design: Intra lighting

Meanwhile, he talks of his work with Prada, Carsten Holler and Nick Reynolds as standouts for the way in which they worked together. “We were trying to transcend how architecture can be achieved, and how it can be seen.”

A particular standout though, is Háita – a project that served as a foundation for Martir’s presence in Lisbon. As a project, Háita was born from the exercise of imagining how a dancer’s choreography could be explored inside out.

Combining dance with music and state-of-theart technology, the installation took the form of a quadripathic exhibition of four projections of the same choreographed piece. The dance was a mixture of styles, incorporating ballet, Portuguese vira and Mexican traditions – captured on film, but also through volumetric and motion capture technology. The installation was activated by a dancer, illuminated through a projection based on an electroencephalogram made of her brain, and representing the patterns of her brainwaves throughout the choreography, building an inverted image of how a dancer imagines her own choreography.

“As a project, this transcends the simple, and looks to find a meaning that goes beyond entertaining somebody,” Matir says.

As for dream collaborators going forward, Martir says that, aside from lighting La Sagrada Familia,

or working with Pearl Jam, he doesn’t have many dream clients, but rather, he is more interested in continuing to push the boundaries of what is possible.

“There are people that I would love to work with, but at the same time, I think that the part that I am more interested in is the challenge, and how we make something new. How do we reinvent something? How do we turn around the scales of things and make people have a new vision of what can be possible?”

Central to this mindset, Martir is always trying to keep abreast of the latest developments in technology. Having been in the know about AI and VR since the mid 2010s (“I’m part of the OGs of the second wave of VR”), he is always looking at courses and forums to keep up to date with new developments. However, he is keen to ensure that the work itself takes centre stage, not the technology used.

“I don’t care about what the technology can do, more about whether I can bend the technology to do what I want it to do. That for me is always more interesting,” he says. “How can I create new forms of entertainment, new forms of storytelling? Technology is a character; the way that the graphics card that you use and the software that you have is like building a character in the same way that an actor needs to realise what their

Haita at Sonar, 2023 (Image: Mete Kaan Ozdilek)

backstory is and how they behave and move, it’s the same thing. It’s just that technology should never be the main actor of your story – it should be a supporting actor who gets a scene.” Similar to the way he keeps an eye on future developments in technology, Martir and Satore Studio are also firmly keeping their fingers on the pulse of emerging talent in the design world too. Keen to nurture and mentor the next generation, Martir has established the Satore Academy – an initiative based on his desire to give something back.

“Not everybody can come in and be an intern, and sometimes people just need somebody to talk to that has a bit of knowledge,” he said. “We end up taking between six and eight people on every time we do it. We’ve had people that are starting their Master’s, have just graduated, are in the middle of school, and we help them out in any possible way, giving them direction or even sometimes just having a bit of a therapy session. We want to act as a sounding board for people who are looking for something a bit different, or are a little bit lost and want to change career or pivot, and give an opportunity to people in a different way. It is something that we feel very, very proud of.”

Finally, as a man who is always looking to the future, what are some of his bold predictions for the design world in the coming years?

“The more things that we’re doing in real time, that we’re doing with parametric design, some of the things that are happening with technology, at some point reality is going to hit, and all of the AIgenerated visuals that people are making are not going to be the right thing,” he said. “But I think that there’s a lot of things that the industry can do better in terms of making us understand the true possibilities of the products, and also the way that we are understanding what humans can see and how we’re seeing the world. We’re going to start finding new, subtle ways to do it.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface of what we’re going to be. With things like mixed reality, once we get this working properly, welcome to the fourth dimension. Suddenly there’s going to be an entire new world to explore, and I think that is going to be a very interesting space.”

So, as we venture forth into this brave new world, I can think of few designers more suited to lead us into the future than Tupac Martir. www.satorestudio.com

Alexander McQueen, Plato’s Atlantis, 2010

Max Mara Resort Collection (Image: Max Mara)

Martir speaking at Netherlands Film Festival (Image: Ramon Mangold)

Image: Steve Russell Studios / Pangolin Gallery

Our Illuminated Reflection

Clearwell Caves, UK

Back to the Cave: The Full Spectrum is an exhibition of modern and contemporary sculpture, curated by Rungwe Kingdon and Claude Koenig, taking place in the ancient Clearwell Caves from 23 May until 31 August.

The exhibition, focused on the theme of colour, involves almost 60 British and international modern and contemporary artists, and includes works by Geoffrey Clarke, Lynn Chadwick, Maggi Hambling, Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas, Antony Gormley, Moritz Waldemeyer, and Liz West.

Visitors to the exhibition follow a planned route – 550m long and up to 30.5m below ground –where they encounter a combination of known sculptures in a new, underground setting, together with new and site-specific works.

Orchestrated by Gallery Pangolin, together with the highly-skilled logistics team from Pangolin Editions, it is the ochre mined at Clearwell Caves, that has prompted the theme of the exhibition: to tell a story of colour. Rungwe Kingdon, the founder of Pangolin Editions and a maker, explains: “This exhibition is an exploration of sculpture in an environment which echoes that of the earliest art we know. Contemporary sculpture comes in a dizzying array of images and media and, so as to make some sense of the diversity and create a contemporary context, Claude [Koenig] and I have chosen colour as a unifying theme. It remains an important reason the caves still function, mining the ochre pigments for artists’ paints. We are going to take visitors on a journey through colour, along the passages and through the caverns of Clearwell Caves.”

Included as part of the exhibition, Liz West presents a new work to this unique, underground setting, titled Our Illuminated Reflection.

Our Illuminated Reflection creates a conversation between the viewer and the setting, using more than 100 mirrors made of coloured acrylic. The work is comprised of discs with diameters of 30,40, 50, and 60cm, in nine colours, set at different heights so that they reflect both the interior, and the people who inhabit it, revealing parts of the space that would otherwise be invisible, and project warm and rich colours up into the interior.

Speaking of the piece, West says: “There is an element of performance to this work; it puts the audience to the fore, demanding a response; physically, emotionally, psychologically, or even spiritually. Viewers each have their own perspectives and their own experiences, tempered by movement through the space and through time.”

www.liz-west.com

[d]arc awards

Marking its 10th anniversary in style, this year’s [d]arc awards brought a touch of decadence to London’s Fireworks Factory for a celebration of the best in lighting design.

This April, to honour a decade of celebrating the best in lighting, the [d]arc media team rolled out the red carpet for the design community for the 10th annual [d]arc awards.

Taking place in a new venue, the Fireworks Factory in Woolwich, London, we welcomed almost 600 attendees for an extravagant celebration.

To mark the landmark milestone, this year’s awards party featured a “decadent” dress code, while ahead of the awards presentation, guests were treated to an exclusive, premiere screening of a special [d]arc awards documentary – created in collaboration with Light Collective and Gavriil Papadiotis, reflecting on the last 10 years of the awards programme. Popcorn for the screening was provided by Casambi, while the party also included a variety of food vendors, sponsored by SGM and free bars sponsored by Lucent and LEDFlex.

The awards trophies were once again supplied by Applelec, this year featuring a special 10th anniversary design, and warmer colour temperature, to tie in with the theme of decadence. Honouring projects and products completed throughout 2024, this year’s [d]arc awards saw 1,518 independent designers take part in voting, with a total of 19,734 individual votes cast across the awards’ 13 categories.

With more than 350 entries submitted from around the world, the programme’s global reach was once again demonstrated by the international scope of the winners, with winning projects spanning Japan, Italy, Greece, Thailand, Taiwan, and the UK.

The coveted ‘Best of the Best’ award for 2024 was given to Thames City in the UK, completed by Foundry following an initial masterplan by Equation Lighting, which was also the winner of the Spaces category, sponsored by LightGraphix. The Best of the Best award is given to the project that receives the most votes overall out of all of the project category winners, so a big congratulations to Foundry for this wonderful achievement.

The full list of awards winners is as follows:

Structures – Low Budget (sponsored by Pharos Controls): Temple of Poseidon, Greece, by Eleftheria Deko & Associates Lighting Design

Structures – High Budget (sponsored by Pharos Controls): Vela di Calatrava, Italy, by Dolce e Luce

Lighting Design Studio

Places – Low Budget (sponsored by Lutron): House in Hayamiya, Japan, by Sirius Lighting Office

Places – High Budget (sponsored by Lutron): 2nd Nagoya Sanco Building, Japan, by Sirius Lighting Office

Spaces (sponsored by LightGraphix), and Best of the Best: Thames City, UK, by Foundry, from an initial masterplan by Equation Lighting

Art – Low Budget: Kaleidoscope, Thailand, by Ambiguous

Art – High Budget: Light Cycles Kyoto, Japan, by Moment Factory

Art – Bespoke: Duo, UK, by Melek Zeynep Studio with LAB.1 Lighting Design

Event: Summer Lantern Festival 2024 – Light Dance

Moon River, Taiwan, by Fundesign Studio

Kit – Interior: Nano Tini i, by DGA

Kit – Exterior: Cu-Pip, by Stoane Lighting

Kit – Decorative: Nebula Collection, by Patrizia Volpato

Kit – Technology: Colour Calibration, by Tryka

[d]arc media would like to say a huge thank you to all of our design partners, sponsors, and supporters, to everyone who entered a project or product into the awards, who voted, and who took part in the awards process this year. A special thank you also to production partners Streeem, photographer Gavriil Papadiotis, and to Light Collective, who have been integral to the success of the [d]arc awards for the past 10 years.

www.darcawards.com

Images: Gavriil Papadiotis

[d]arc awards installations

To commemorate a decade of the [d]arc awards, this year’s installations, created by our supporting design teams, have been designed around the theme of “10”.

As with all our previous awards parties, the 10th anniversary edition saw the return of our incredible light art installations, created by supporting design teams.

Each year, the design teams – which pair a lighting design practice with a lighting manufacturer – are given a theme around which to create their installations.

In keeping with this year’s decadent celebrations, this year’s installations were all centred around the number 10.

With such an open theme, the way that this was interpreted, and the creativity shown from each team, was incredibly impressive, with each installation taking its own, wildly unique approach.

Alongside 10 physical installations within the venue, this year saw the addition, for the first time, of a digital installation, which was displayed on the venue’s big screen immediately following the awards presentation.

As ever, a vote was held among attendees for their favourite installation from the event –with attendees this year invited to vote online after the party had finished. The winner this year was the collaboration between Arup and Atea, so big congratulations to them for their impressive installation.

ae7 & Rako Controls ‒ [d]arc: The Voyage So Far

[d]arc: The Voyage So Far was an immersive, Al-generated cinematic feature, which reimagines the decade-long journey of the [d]arc awards from its initiation in 2015, to the current event.

The journey begins in the present day, where the “spirit of [d]arc” stumbles upon a preserved Light & Play installation – an artefact from the very first [d]arc awards in 2015. As she reaches out, the installation pulses to life, becoming a portal that draws her into the past. What follows is a seamless, voyage through time from the [d]arc spirit’s first-person point of view. Through her eyes, we traverse a seamless, immersive flow of AI- generated visuals and soundscapes, each inspired by the iconic installations and venues of the past 10 years of [d]arc awards. Each year unfolds as a living, breathing world, inspired by the original exhibits and their creative essence. Cubes shift and rearrange, geodesic domes pulse with rhythmic energy, Christmas trees morph into luminous sculptures, and gifts of light pass between hands unseen. Every transition is fluid, as if light itself is guiding the journey, until finally, the spirit reaches the threshold of 2024. Here, time bends once more, and she is catapulted

Clockwise from above: Ten Years in Neon by Arup & Atea; [d]arc: The Voyage So Far by ae7 & Rako Controls; [The Choice]* by Buro Happold & Unibox; Piece of Cake by dpa lighting consultants & Radiant Architectural Lighting.

Images: Gavriil Papadiotis

forward, back to the present 2025, standing at the intersection of past achievements and the limitless future ahead.

What you witness is not just a tribute to a decade of [d]arc, but a glimpse into the power of AI as a creative partner. Every element of this experience –the visuals, video sequences, soundtrack, narration, lyrics, and vocals has been generated with AI in co-pilot mode, bringing the story of the [d]arc spirit to life, in a way that has never been seen before.

Arup & Atea ‒ Ten Years in Neon

Moved by how much our world has changed in the 10 years since the first [d]arc awards, Arup and Atea aimed to create an installation that would explore the historical events of the last decade. Inspired by the Bayeux tapestry, where medieval historical events were visually retold using textiles, the team opted to tell modern stories using a modern medium: Neon (the tenth element in the periodic table).

Neon signage has contrasting connotations, to some it induces feelings of joy, vibrance and nightlife, whereas to others it relays themes of salaciousness, grunge and commercialism. This dichotomy reflects the strong contrasting emotions intrinsic to the subject matter. The subjects explored in the installation are likely to make visitors feel pride, joy and relief, as well as sadness, loss, or fear.

Overall, Ten Years in Neon is a highly emotive installation. At first glance, the team expected visitors to see it as a fun, vibrant, surface-level piece of pop-art, but on closer reflection it is revealed to explore the deeper, complex and conflicting feelings that are increasingly intrinsic to modern life.

Buro Happold & Unibox ‒ [The Choice]*

[The Choice]*, was based around the concept of 10 as binary. Enclosed within a cube, it was purposefully designed to reflect the growing tension between human reliance on technology for even the simplest choices.

Anchored in binary code, the language at the core of our digital era, the installation reflects the infinite possibilities held within the digits 1 and 0, directly reflecting the thematic significance of the integer 10. The installation draws on the tension of choice and duality to invite a sensory-led exploration through rhythmic patterns and abstract form, opening a portal into the shifting dynamic between humanity and artificial intelligence.

As we continue to live in a world where artificial intelligence quietly scripts the parameters of our reality, this luminous intervention reminds us that the future is not imposed. It asks what it means to choose freely in a world increasingly guided by algorithms. Can you reclaim autonomy and free will, or continue to move through a world written by the silent sentient technological presence coding your reality?

dpa lighting consultants & Radiant Architectural Lighting ‒ Piece of Cake

Piece of Cake is a stylised birthday cake complete with 10 candles, which are internally illuminated by a radiant water effect luminaire, in carefully selected hues, to mimic candle flicker. While continuously looping through a pre-set scene, the installation hides a surprise sequence that is triggered only by a guest blowing into the retro style microphone in front of the installation, to temporary extinguish the candle lights and activate a special interim scene.

Foster + Partners & Kingfisher Lighting ‒ X-Puzzle

X-Puzzle is an immersive lighting installation inspired by the theme of “10” (X in Roman numerals). The design deconstructs and rebuilds the number X, transforming it into a dynamic composition of intersecting lines and patterns that shift with movement and light. Using mirror surfaces, dichroic filters, and foam board, the installation creates an interactive experience where reflections, colours, and shadows continuously evolve. Visitors are invited to explore the space from different angles, engaging with the layered optical effects. Carefully integrated luminaires enhance this play of light, reinforcing the concept of transformation and reconstruction. Designed with sustainability in mind, all materials are sourced from Foster + Partners’ Model shop

recycling stock, ensuring a responsible and minimal-waste approach to its construction and dismantling.

Hoare Lea & Signify ‒ [d]ecaStrike

Step into the mesmerising world of [d]ecaStrike, an innovative lighting art installation that reimagines the classic game of ten-pin bowling. This installation invites viewers to reflect on the intersection of art and technology, and how traditional games can be transformed into modern, interactive experiences. The suspended pins, crafted with precision using 3D printing technology, are illuminated by a flexible lighting system that enhances their form. The infinity mirror adds a surreal dimension, making viewers feel as though they are peering into an endless corridor of light and motion.

[d]ecaStrike is not just an art installation; it’s an immersive experience that blends technology and creativity.

Jan Erika & Lutron ‒ darc-X

Light is often viewed as a symbol of clarity, knowledge, and truth, transcending physical boundaries to illuminate the world around us. It is a force that reveals hidden realities, making the unseen visible, and provides the strength to overcome darkness, both literally and metaphorically.

Clockwise from top left: X-Puzzle by Foster + Partners & Kingfisher Lighting; darc-X by Jan Erika & Lutron; [d]ecaStrike by Hoare Lea & Signify.

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The strength of light can be understood in terms of its intensity and its ability to penetrate even the densest of obstacles. In many contexts, light represents power – its presence signifies life, energy, and growth. The symbol of “X” is frequently associated with the crossing of paths or the intersection of possibilities, often representing a point of convergence or transformation. When paired with the number “10,” which denotes completeness, wholeness, and a culmination of a cycle, “X” can signify a moment of profound change or realisation.

Together, the idea of light and the significance of “X” and “10” evokes a powerful message of enlightenment, discovery, and the potential for transcendence, where strength, knowledge, and transformation converge in a single, radiant moment.

Michael Grubb Studio & formalighting ‒ TEN-tacles!

For the 10th anniversary of the [d]arc awards, Michael Grubb Studio’s design takes a playful approach to the theme and word Ten: TEN-tacles! A cascade of illuminated, writhing tentacles are suspended from above. formalighting’s motorised Moto-Jojo pendants allow the tentacles to come alive, bringing the sense of movement, while the flexible linear LED lengths form smaller, glowing tentacles.

The tentacles are constructed from reused bubble wrap, sourced from Michael Grubb Studio’s testing

room full of lighting sample packaging. Wrapped around lengths of reused garden wire for stability, the bubble wrap is stuffed into fishnet tights and formed into coiling tentacles. The tights evoke the appearance of fishing nets discarded in the ocean, highlighting the environmental impact of sea pollution. Iridescent fabric fills the spaces between to create a seaweed effect, reflecting the lighting in deep-sea hues.

Nulty & Tryka ‒ Pendula

Pendula is an installation centred around reflections, both physically and mentally. As 10 years of [d]arc awards have passed, it feels an appropriate time to reflect on what has happened around lighting. An oversized pendulum makes those who interact with it very conscious of the time passing, and hopefully in turn, of the time that has passed. In an increasingly digital time, the installation aims to explore the coalescence of digital and mechanical elements to visualise motion, where digital approaches are often favoured. Manufacturing waste included in the installation aims to highlight our impact on the environment, not just through the luminaires themselves, but everything that facilitates their purpose.

In a hectic, loud and fast-moving world, a time to pause and reflect can often be a luxury. A time to pause, to breathe, to be.

Above: Pendula by Nulty & Tryka

Speirs Major Light Architecture & Vivalyte ‒ Symbiotic Dream10

Imagine a future where natural and electric light exist in harmony, where technology learns from nature rather than overpowering it. A future where bioluminescence guides us, and electricity is used with care, enhancing rather than harming the world around us. To move forward, we must first do less harm. Then, no harm. Add zero. Then redefine our symbiotic relationship with nature. In this space, the design team of Speirs Major Light Architecture and Vivalyte explored the mesmerising power of bioluminescence, light that lives, breathes, and responds. Through magnitudes of 10, we journey deeper, zooming into the interplay of natural and artificial light, sensing its impact not just on our surroundings but on ourselves. Step into the pod….
Lift and shake the bottle, watch as the bioluminescence dims. Put the bottle down to let the algae rest and witness the digital magnification. SMLA and Vivalyte invite you to pause, to feel, to reflect. May this experience spark curiosity, inspire change, and remind us that nature already holds the answers, we only need to learn how to listen.

WSP & Artemide ‒ Reflexion

This installation harnesses light, mirrors, and dichroic film to explore the themes of reflection and perception in a playful, immersive way. When

presented with this year’s [d]arc awards theme, the WSP & Artemide team began by reflecting on their individual experiences from the past decade. What started as a flurry of personal ideas gradually evolved through conversation- blending and growing into a shared creative expression. We asked ourselves: how can we offer viewers the same layered, reflective experience?

The result is an abstract ’10’ formed with LED rope, designed as a three-dimensional light sculpture.

Depending on your vantage point, the installation reveals entirely different images. From the front, the ’10’ becomes an infinity mirror – its form reflected endlessly into the distance. From the east and west, the dichroic film casts a spectrum of colours that shift with every degree of movement, creating a dynamic, ever-changing visual. And everything in between is up to the viewer to discover. Whether jumping, crouching, circling around, peering in from above, or layering reflections with the film, every interaction reveals something new.

In the end, each person walks away with their own version of the experience-shaped by both physical perspective and personal reflection. www.darcawards.com

Clockwise from above left: TEN-tacles! by Michael Grubb Studio & formalighting; Symbiotic Dream10 by Speirs Major Light Architecture & Vivalyte; Reflexion by WSP & Artemide.

International Year of Light: 10 Years Later

10 years ago, UNESCO launched the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies - a year-long celebration of light and its impact on human society that spawned a number of lighting events, including the very first [d]arc awards. 10 years later, we look back on its impact and its legacy.

In 2015, something extraordinary happened. Under the patronage of UNESCO and adopted by the United Nations, the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015) launched a global celebration of light – its science, its applications, and its profound importance to human society. What started as a science-led initiative quickly evolved into something broader and more inclusive, thanks to the passion and persistence of the lighting design community. 10 years later, as arc magazine celebrates the latest winners of the [d]arc awards – a programme born from that very same momentum - we pause to reflect on how IYL 2015 changed the course of lighting design history.

From the Shadows into the Spotlight

When IYL 2015 was first proposed, lighting design wasn’t part of the conversation. The focus was firmly on photonics, optical technologies, and scientific breakthroughs. But lighting designers knew that light was more than data and devices.

A grassroots petition emerged, gathering momentum to include lighting design within IYL’s framework. Thanks to the excellent organisation of the IYL2015 Global Secretariat, and particularly to the welcoming support of ICTP, UNESCO Category I Institute, the outcome transformed the initiative

itself: lighting design wasn’t merely recognised – it became integral to IYL’s identity, illuminating light’s artistic, cultural, and social dimensions alongside its scientific achievements.

It was in this context that the Lighting-Related Organisations (L-RO) coalition was born: a voluntary federation of 45 international associations, institutions, the academic world and media (including arc magazine), formed to ensure the built environment and human experience were part of the global light conversation.

Soon after, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD), a founding L-RO member, became a patron sponsor of IYL2015, underscoring its commitment to promoting the power and potential of light on a global stage. IALD’s sponsorship and active involvement were crucial in elevating the visibility and importance of architectural lighting design within the broader celebration of light during IYL 2015, particularly highlighting its relevance to the built environment and human wellbeing.

The Emotion-driven Technology

Lighting designers brought something to IYL 2015 that no one else could: a unique blend of science, art, and empathy. As Joe Niemela, Global Coordinator for IYL 2015 at UNESCO, stated in

an interview for issue 82 of arc magazine (then known as mondo*arc), “I think the role of Lighting Designers should be… BIG.” Designers showed how light isn’t just functional – it’s emotional. It shapes behaviour, fosters connection, creates identity, and uplifts communities.

The IYL platform made it possible for the wider world to see what designers had long understood: that light can help make a street feel safe, a home feel warm, or a public space feel magical. Through exhibitions, educational events, public interventions, and artistic installations, lighting designers around the world illuminated the human and space experience of light.

Meanwhile, education-based events were held worldwide demonstrating the physics and magic of light for students, professionals, and citizens alike. In fact, L-RO members and countless volunteers donated their time, energy, and expertise throughout the year. This collective effort – driven by commitment, passion, and professionalism – fostered a global community united by light’s potential. Their dedication transformed IYL 2015 from celebration into movement, creating ripples that continue expanding today.

Lighting a Legacy

The L-RO’s final publication, We Are Light, captured the spirit of this transformation. The IALD supported this initiative, printing the booklet as a great effort of cooperation and advocacy. We Are Light presented the activities organised by L-RO to celebrate the Year of Light, and emphasised on expanding the knowledge of lighting beyond the profession, planting the seeds for cross-disciplinary thinking that continues to flourish today.

And while the International Year of Light officially ended, its energy lives on in lighting festivals, academic programmes, social impact projects, and design communities. It lives on in the [d]arc awards, which launched as an official IYL 2015 activity and has since become a defining platform for contemporary lighting design. It lives on in the countless collaborations sparked during that year, many of which still shine brightly.

The legacy of IYL 2015 is one of recognition and relevance. A decade ago, lighting design was often dismissed as niche or luxury. Today, it’s increasingly recognised as essential – an agent of sustainability, wellbeing, and cultural enrichment that shapes how we experience the world around us.

The Next Ten Years

The challenges we face, climate change, urban transformation, biodiversity loss, require new ways of thinking. Lighting design, with its unique ability to blend technology and empathy, form and function, is poised to help lead that charge.

As the lights go up on this year’s [d]arc awards winners, it’s worth remembering that their platform was built not just from accolades, but from advocacy. Their spotlight exists because a community of designers believed in the value of what they do, and demanded to be seen.

As we look ahead, the legacy of IYL 2015 reminds us of what’s possible when lighting designers claim their space in the global dialogue, not just as technicians, but as storytellers, changemakers, and stewards of light.

Ten years ago, we proved that light could unite us. Now, it’s time to let it guide us forward, on a shared mission: “With the people, for the people, through Light.”

Further coverage of the 10th anniversary of IYL 2015 will be coming to the arc magazine website soon.

The first [d]arc awards, held in 2015 to coincide with the International Year of Light. Images: Sven Eselgroth Photography (left and top right); Nulty (bottom right)

Thames City

London, UK

A former industrial site, turned luxurious, 10-acre, mixed-use development, Thames City brings a healthy dose of greenery to London’s Nine Elms. arc speaks to Foundry about the site’s lighting design, following its Best of the Best success at the [d]arc awards

n Nine Elms, London, a stone’s throw from Vauxhall, and the recently revitalised Battersea Power Station, lies Thames City – a 10-acre, former industrial site that has been transformed into a landmark, residential-led mixeduse development.

The development, for which Phase 1 was completed last year, signals a vibrant new chapter for the area, establishing Nine Elms as a global destination in its own right. Distinguished by a stunning collection of landscape spaces, including courtyards, green podium gardens, and an expansive linear park, Thames City features a series of beautifully designed green spaces, ideal for outdoor recreation, while a thoughtfully planned network of waterside walkways, cycle paths, and green areas looks to promote active lifestyles and enhance the wellbeing of those who visit.

Alongside the lush and verdant landscaped areas, Phase 1 also features two new towers – No. 8, and No. 9 – standing at 35 and 54-storeys tall respectively, from a two-storey podium. These buildings offer new, luxury riverside apartments, and a host of resident amenities, including wellness facilities, a 30-metre-long swimming pool, residents lounge, cinema, karaoke rooms, private dining, and a sky lounge.

The initial lighting masterplan for this site came from Equation Lighting, who having previously worked on neighbouring sites at Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms, looked to create a unity across the exterior green spaces.

Keith Miller, Director at Equation, reflects on the early stages of the project: “There is a large green space that connects Battersea Bridge to Nine Elms, and we were involved in a lot of the development here, so we were well placed to come into this project as lighting consultants. The whole development was divided into two phases – Phase 1 was the three towers and the podium, while Phase 2 was a series of buildings along Nine Elms Road. “This meant that there was a continuity. Externally, we could have the same philosophy in all of the different developments, and part of the idea of the masterplan was that it was one linear park – even though there were four or five different developers, in terms of the experience of the users, it would be a seamless journey where you could walk from Vauxhall, through Battersea, and into Nine Elms, and everything externally feels of a piece.”

Following this initial concept masterplan created by Equation, the client employed D&B contractor Midgard, who in turn brought in Foundry to realise the lighting design for the site alongside the client team and wider design partners of architects SOM and landscape architects Gillespies.

Speaking to arc, Neale Smith, Director at Foundry, takes us through their beginnings on the project, and how working off a pre-existing masterplan affected their approach. “Equation created a concept, which formed part of the employer’s requirements, and we were given this just after our appointment. We looked at this, and the initial strategy on how they saw the space at that stage, and then it was our job to build upon that. We looked at where we could deviate, and how we could work with the design team and the client to make it a more robust deliverable.”

Ellie Cozens, Design Director at Foundry, adds:

“The masterplan and the information that we were provided gave us a good framework to work with, and the client was very open to building on it. As the space has evolved and as we got to learn more about this development, as it is quite complex with the towers, the podium level, and the landscape areas, the scheme took on legs of its own and evolved over the course of the project, as you’d expect.

“We used the masterplan as a framework – it is something that the client had agreed to, and the principles were very much there. Our job was to look at it and work out how to deliver it, which is often the hardest part of the job, especially with contractors and design and build, and value engineering, and all of the other challenges that we know. We looked at how we could make the space functional, while also maintaining a level of quality and lit effect that we wanted to see in the end product.”

With Equation’s initial concept masterplan in place, the team at Foundry looked at how they could elevate this further, examining primarily the ways in which people were going to be using the myriad exterior spaces, and the ways in which they each came together.

“It was all about the guest experience, and that experience after dark, because it is in the middle of a quite recently built-up area. Although the podium

is completely resident-owned, the landscaped areas are open to the public,” Cozens continues.

“From a light point of view, it had to be safe, it had to be functional, we had to tick those boxes – but we also wanted a space that not only did that, but also encouraged people to dwell there and actually enjoy the space after dark. Especially in London, where there’s very few spaces like this that visitors can feel safe in and actually want to enjoy.

It was fun to be able to create those moments – it gives people a chance to take a beat.

“We did this by using lighting that was a lot more low level, more focused on functional pathway pools of guiding people through spaces. It’s not about overlighting it. We worked really closely with Gillespie and understanding all of the foliage and the planting, and how that would evolve over the seasons.”

To further emphasise the feeling of evolution and growth, Foundry utilised tunable white lighting throughout, carefully balanced to show the space transforming over the course of an evening, rather than a single static image.

“It turns it into something that you want to wander through, see what’s going on and enjoy it,” Cozens adds.

“That was very much a focus for us, and came to be a focus for the clients as well – to make it a space that people could enjoy and want to spend time in, not just transition through.”

With one of the primary goals of the landscaped areas being to promote active lifestyles and enhance the wellbeing of those using the space, the tunability of the lighting helps to contribute to a sense of tranquillity.

Smith explains: “As a visitor, you’re effectively in the middle of Vauxhall, but when you’re sat on the podium, it’s a very calming experience. All you hear is rustling leaves. If you really focus you might hear cars and sirens in the distance, but when you’re up there, everything else seems to zone out.

“It’s the same when you’re going through the landscaped areas too; there’s waterways, there’s little parks, and it’s all about making people stop and think.

“Whether you’re hearing the movement in the water, or where we have light grazing across it, picking up the ripples, we wanted to create a more sensory, intimate environment across a large scale. We did this by focusing on low level lighting, but also by concealing columns in places where you weren’t seeing where the light was coming from, and also using the buildings as a backdrop, where these are framing the pedestrian routes.”

The low level lighting also contributes towards the dark sky considerations of the project – a fundamental aspect for all landscape lighting projects to bear in mind. How Foundry tackled this was by taking the time to think about where, and how much light was needed.

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Cozens adds: “We wanted to make the lighting purposeful. Something that we did quite successfully on this project was define what we actually needed from the lighting. We challenged what you might typically do, especially with regards to street lighting on the surrounding roadways.

We looked at the categorisation, but dug into it a bit further. We knew that we needed uniformity, but we asked ourselves if there was a cleverer way of doing things? Is there a better fitting that directs light downwards, that is not overly bright or reflecting light upwards?

“It was the same with the façade lighting as well. Although the buildings were massive, they had quite minimal façade lighting. We wanted to light the top band, and all of the lighting was designed at prefix angles, so it only caught certain bits of the metal in a certain way, and reduced all of the upward spill of light.

“These little details all came together to make sure that, although we’re keeping to the dark sky requirements and trying to reduce the light pollution, we’re also not losing all of the vertical illumination.”

Smith continues: “We worked really closely with the planners to minimise any spill light from upward light. Where we’ve got lights around the perimeter of the building that are uplighting the façade, they are all angled, even at pedestrian level, so that there’s nothing going straight up into the sky. There are also a lot of capping details around the building that limit upward light spill. We also worked with the lighting manufacturers to get the right optical control, and making sure when we were lighting the roads, there was nothing spilling back onto pavements – we had quite a harsh cutoff with zero back spill. Everybody across the board thought about these things, whether directly or indirectly.”

This joined up thinking is just one of the ways in which Foundry feel that they worked well with Midgard, and the wider design team.

Cozens explains the collaborative nature of the project further: “The best projects are those where everyone accepts each other’s skillset and their expertise. It’s not to say that there weren’t disagreements, especially when it came to costs, but when we put the case forward for the cost, explain it, and educate the client, they were understanding.

“A lot of people in construction now have an understanding of lighting that maybe they didn’t have ten years ago – they understand lux levels and uniformity, but they also acknowledge that there is a little bit more that goes into it. Yes, we can tick a ‘light level’ box, but is it going to be pleasant? Is this lighting creating a sense of security and safety? These are the moments where our experience comes in and we have to educate the client. In this instance, they were very open to it; sometimes it’s a challenge, but here it was a lot easier.

“We were really involved in every intimate detail, for our sins in some ways, but it meant that the design that we had agreed on day one, we were able to deliver and maintain across the board, which is really hard to do in this day and age. It was challenging, but it was definitely something that, in the end, resulted in a better outcome.”

That’s not to say that this project wasn’t without its challenges. The biggest of which, according to Smith, was bringing it all to life in the middle of the pandemic. With work starting in the summer of 2020, the knock-on effects of prolonged lead times – sometimes taking up to six months for fixtures to be delivered – meant that, while some parties were keen to keep the project on target, the pandemic led to frustrating delays.

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NGA supplied over 500m of LED Strip and Neon Flex throughout Thames City’s public and external spaces, including the entrances, courtyards, reception, swimming pool and landscaped areas, along with custom Circular Lightbox.

“The biggest challenge was managing these delays, because everybody was wanting to get the job moving, get installation teams moving, and silly things like missing components, missing drivers that were integral to light fittings, was holding up the process and preventing things from getting delivered.”

Cozens added that maintaining the integrity of the specification also proved to be one of the bigger hurdles to overcome. She says: “The contractor was always looking for the cheapest, quicker solution, so trying to keep them happy while also maintaining the design and not sacrificing too many elements was one of the hardest challenges. “Trying to keep the project cohesive was also difficult. There are so many different spaces, from the large landscape, to the street lighting – so we had to balance all of that and make it feel all part of one unified scheme, especially when it was all done at different times and in different phases. The podium was finished a lot sooner than the masterplan; the street lighting went in first; the buildings were done separately to everything; it was all very staggered. So, trying to continue to keep that thread and link through the space, and keep the lighting consistent and enjoyable and still quite special was a challenge, but I think it has been done quite successfully.”

An integral factor to the consistent feeling across the site was in the illumination of the two residential buildings. Foundry was responsible for illuminating the interior amenity spaces, as well as the façades. This meant that, as Smith explains, there had to be a synergy between the interior and exterior lighting. “The buildings are heavily glazed around the amenity spaces, so there are a lot of connections between the interior and exterior. So, there was a conscious decision to make sure that there would be a continuity and balance between

the inside and out, focusing on transition, making sure we had a consistency in colour temperature – we had tunable white inside and outside, so we could balance everything up. With this, there was definitely a considered, joined-up thinking process in how we transition from inside to out.”

Following the completion of Phase 1 of the project – with talks underway for Phase 2 – Smith and Cozens reflect on the lighting scheme with a lot of pride, particularly in the way that the lighting contributes to the overall aesthetic of the space.

“It’s a very calming experience,” says Smith. “Even though a lot of the light is focusing on surface materials, highlighting or leaving in darkness certain elements, the lighting feels natural. You seamlessly transition through the space without really thinking too much about it.

“The last time I was there, someone was sat out on the podium at six o’clock at night, on a chair, lying back with his feet up, and he looked like he was asleep, just enjoying the space in complete bliss. This just shows how, from a resident point of view, it’s being used and enjoyed.”

“It just feels at home – you want to go and explore, especially on the podium with all the planting, you want to see what is around the corner. That’s the bit that lighting does. You don’t necessarily notice, but that’s why you feel like that,” adds Cozens. The project was recognised at the 2024 [d]arc awards, collecting not only the Spaces award for landscape lighting, but also the Best of the Best award – the highest accolade in the awards programme. A testament to the importance of crafting beautiful, well lit green spaces in which to escape the hubbub of of London city centre. www.foundry.london

Client: Excell Winner

Lighting Design: Neale Smith, Ellie Cozens; Foundry, UK

Lighting Concept Design: Equation Lighting, UK

Architect: SOM, UK

Landscape Architect: Gillespies, UK

D&B Contractor: Midgard, UK

Lighting Specified: iGuzzini, LightGraphix, Lucent, No Grey Area, Phos, Stoane Lighting

Photography: James Newton

Dom Tower

Utrecht, Netherlands

Following its Radiance Award-winning installation in 2013, Speirs Major Light Architecture has recently re-lit Utrecht’s Dom Tower in a new, community-driven lighting scheme.

It is a rare occurrence when a lighting design studio is given the opportunity to revisit a previous project, to build on what was already created and craft something entirely new.

This was the opportunity that was granted to Speirs Major Light Architecture (SMLA), when in 2024 it was approached to design a new, permanent lighting scheme for the 112-metre-high Dom Tower in Utrecht, Netherlands.

The practice originally designed a light art installation for the 14th Century, Gothic tower in 2013. The finale of a lighting trail, Trajectum Lumen, that spanned across the Dutch city, the original lighting piece – dubbed In Lumino Tuo –saw the Tower come to life as a living monument, appearing to ‘breathe’ and communicate through light with the citizens of Utrecht. The installation was created by SMLA to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Utrecht peace accord, and received many plaudits from the design world, including the IALD Radiance Award.

In 2022, Utrecht’s city council offered SMLA the unique opportunity to reimagine and evolve its work into a permanent design. The new brief extended the scope beyond an art installation and into a broader set of interests, put forward by community stakeholders in a mirror group – including architects, developers, historians, students, and residents who lived near to the tower.

Evolving its award-winning 2013 installation, SMLA sought to transform the tower’s image from a solid daytime landmark into a vibrant, open beacon after dark. Each level ascended grows progressively lighter and more transparent, celebrating the tower’s Gothic heritage, while the added flexibility enhances its role as a community symbol.

Reflecting on the project, Keith Bradshaw, Senior Partner and CEO of SMLA, tells arc: “When the project was commissioned for the second time, it was a proper civic piece. The first piece was an art installation – although of course we approached it as an architectural piece of work. It looked beautiful and had a really strong narrative to it.

“When we came back to the project, we looked to develop a design based on what we knew from the past about where the light could go, what the building wanted and didn’t want.

“The interesting thing for us though is that, although it’s obviously the same project, it had come through a complete facelift. The quality of the stone had deteriorated significantly over the years, so effectively, they had replaced a huge amount of the tower, and in the process of doing that, they had removed the railings, and the lighting.

“Additionally, the context in which the two projects were commissioned was completely different – this was going to be a permanent scheme paid for by the city, and the requirements that they wanted from the lighting scheme were different.”

These requirements were delivered to SMLA through a series of consultations with the mirror group, which further helped to consolidate the lighting design approach, as Bradshaw explains:

“We listened very carefully to the mirror group, as we wanted our design to reflect their passion for the history and architectural significance of the Tower, it’s importance within the fabric of the city, and to make a meaningful contribution to the contemporary life of Utrecht’s citizens.”

With these consultations in mind, SMLA created a concept that lights the Tower from within, bringing out the building’s three-dimensional qualities. This internal light also plays up the building’s architectural richness at night, revealing key Gothic architectural details usually obscured by shadows in natural light.

The Gothic aspiration to reach for the sky is reflected in the illumination of the vaulted ceilings, and in the way the lantern structure at the top is illuminated on the outside as well as the inside, so that it appears more transparent and lighter.

One further, prominent point from the community feedback was the desire to explore how the lighting could allow the Tower to take a more active role in the community.

Bradshaw continues: “It became very clear to us that the people would like to see the Tower engaging more with the current world as a living part of the city’s narrative. We suggested including the facility to change the colours on a select number of days in the year to celebrate special events and occasions. The council decided that the days and events would be agreed upon by vote to ensure that these truly reflect the diverse cultural tapestry of Utrecht.”

With all the lighting including the built-in facility for colour change, it is possible to create almost any scene across the faces of the Tower; during the switch-on ceremony, for example, the Netherlands national flag and the Utrecht flag were shown. “We understood that although we were designing the lighting, this wasn’t our project, it belongs to the city. So, we recognised and embraced that we had a responsibility to distill what the city wanted,” Bradshaw adds.

Returning to the project 10 years after the initial installation meant that, when it came to redesigning the lighting, SMLA was able to reuse a lot of the luminaires that were installed the first time around – aiding the project’s sustainable and circular credentials.

Although the process of going through what was already installed was not without its challenges.

Benz Roos, Associate Partner at SMLA, explains: “All of the lighting from the 2013 installation was kept and put into crates. When we returned to the site, we dug through the crates to see what we could reuse. There were cable trays, drivers, trunking systems; some things we couldn’t use, but there were some very useful tools that we could refurbish and reinstall. This involved a considerable effort in sorting, cleaning, and upgrading the light sources of the equipment to be suited to the new scheme, as well as reconfiguring the installation method to suit the new, permanent installation.”

The reused products included a range of Martin projectors that were updated with new RGBW chips that, alongside the new colour change capabilities, would allow for a narrower beam of light, reducing light spill into the night sky. Light levels and energy use were also kept as low as possible, without losing impact, as part of the design team’s responsibilities towards the environment, ecology, and neighbouring houses.

“On the original design, the light was distinctly highlighting the tiers of the tower, but because of the technology of the time, it was more of a soft wash,” Bradshaw adds. “For the new scheme, it is much more of a façade graze; the light stays on the building, and there is a lot more precision to it than there was originally.”

While SMLA sought to reuse a lot of the elements from its original installation – including lighting controls, as well as luminaires – the restoration and replacement of much of the stonework had a knock-on effect to the lighting design, and the way in which the designers approached the monument. “Where originally we were lighting 15th century stone, we now had to light the restored stone, which was beautiful, but blonde, and therefore the amount and tone of light that we needed to put on had to be re-checked,” Bradshaw adds. “But by updating the lighting to RGBW, we could tweak the colour of the stone.

“It also meant that the lighting didn’t need to be as bright; we could ease off on some of the intensities. So, even though we are lighting more elements in this scheme, the energy levels weren’t as high, as the building is lighter.”

An additional, surprising outcome of the renovation was in the mounting of luminaires to the tower. Where previously, luminaires were either mounted on clamp systems, so as not to damage the brickwork, or affixed to mortar joints, Bradshaw says that SMLA was given contrasting advice this time around.

“The heritage consultants told us that, by fixing into the mortar joints, all this does is weaken the joints, which ultimately weakens the stone and causes problems further down the line. So, the new details are fixed directly into the new stone, because it can take it. It was interesting to us because this goes against what we have been advised to do for the past 20 years.”

“The way the stone is restored, craftsmen have to knock on every stone on the building, see what sound it makes, and then take it out,” Roos adds.

“When the Notre-Dame was under restoration, there was such a surge across Europe for the craftsmen that can do this, and in the supply chain of the stone. It meant that the whole process was quite slow, as they only had 10 people working on the Tower at a time, but they couldn’t go any faster, because it is all handmade.”

Alongside the restored exterior lighting, an additional feature of the renewed lighting scheme was the celebration of the unique stained-glass windows in the Chapels. During the day, the colours of these windows are imperceptible from the outside, but now, backlighting after dark reveals their vibrant colours when looking towards the Tower from Dom Square or the Servetstraat. This detail remains lit for one hour after the main lights are switched off at 11pm, which allows the windows to become the centre of attention for a brief period each day.

Elsewhere, the base of the Tower was left deliberately unilluminated, other than the underpass, to create a solid base above which the more intricately detailed upper layers appear to float.

“The original scheme was pretty much an illuminated skin with a few elements of lighting as you went up, but it was predominantly a façade lighting scheme,” Bradshaw says. “What was fun

about the second time around is that we had all these other new internal features to celebrate and glow from within.”

While the project does focus on re-working a lighting scheme that they had already created, the SMLA team sought to view this as an entirely new project throughout. Integral to this was the engagement with the community of Utrecht in the design process.

“The original design, in simple terms, was the idea that the Tower is a partially living monument, where the animated lighting kept it alive. But the second time around, the client was so determined for us to get the functional lighting right that we recognised that we are now lighting a different kind of context, in as much as it wasn’t an art installation,” Bradshaw explains.

“The people of Utrecht love this tower, so it became much more about respecting and celebrating this civic monument, and doing it in a way that the city of Utrecht and the people of Utrecht wanted.

“It’s a different design mindset that is more contextual,” Roos adds. “More engagement-based design is inevitable. We are the experts with more experience, but through engagement it brings more people together. Especially with public spaces and public projects, it creates a sense of ownership for everybody, which is important.

“It’s also quite inspiring, it forces you to really listen, and maybe you pick up ideas that you would not have thought of previously. Every designer has a bit of an ego, so we had to control our own egos, but it is for the better of the project.

“When we talked to the committee about the new scheme, we talked a lot about storytelling, but then realised, the tower is the story. We want to celebrate the tower.”

He says: “It would be very interesting for all of us to be confronted with our own work and think, ‘Would you do exactly the same again?’

Client: City of Utrecht

Lighting Design: Keith Bradshaw, Benz Roos, Adrien Flourard, Iain Ruxton;

Speirs Major Light Architecture, UK

Heritage Architect: Rothuizen, Netherlands

Lighting Specified: Martin

Professional, Meyer, Pharos

Architectural Controls, Proliad

Photography: Jelle Verhoeks

“It is interesting to be re-confronted with your own scheme, that was successful in the parameters in which lighting was judged in 2013 as opposed to now, and we had to remain humble,” Bradshaw continues. “Yes, the project won a Radiance Award, but what does that mean to anybody that lives next door to it? It has a different set of circumstances now, so we had to talk about it differently.”

Reflecting on the process of re-illuminating a previously very successful project, Bradshaw concludes that it is perhaps something that every designer should go through, and in this particular occasion, led to an outcome that the local community can feel very proud of.

“The fact that we can still do great work, recognise energy, embrace circularity, recognise the opinions of a civic group, it was very different for us, but it ultimately led to what we feel is a successful scheme. The accolade here isn’t taking the project to a lighting conference and showing it off, it’s the fact that the people of Utrecht are really, genuinely pleased with it. What matters is that it resonates properly for the people – that is the new definition of success.”

www.smlightarchitecture.com

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National World War I Memorial & Pershing Park

Washington D.C., USA

A new, layered lighting scheme from Fisher

transports visitors from the busy streets of Washington DC into a calm, tranquil environment for Pershing Park’s new World War I Memorial.

Marantz Stone

Astone’s throw from The White House and the Washington Monument lies Pershing Park – a green space along Pennsylvania Avenue that, until recently was a run-down, former recreational site. However, last year, it underwent a transformation, becoming a site of remembrance for World War I.

The new National World War I Memorial incorporates an existing statue honouring General John J. Pershing – commander of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I – with a newly commissioned sculpture, reflecting pool, and Peace Fountain.

Sculpted by Sabin Howard, the monument is a figurative bronze composition, known as “A Soldiers Journey”, and serves as the centrepiece of the redesigned, 1.76-acre park. The memorial is intended to communicate the search for peace, while providing a place of reflection and remembrance for visitors.

Spearheaded by lead designer Joseph A. Weishaar, alongside Architect of Record GWWO Architects, and landscape architect David Rubin of Land Collective, the redesign of the park called for a lighting scheme that would complement and echo the feeling of solemnity and remembrance.

To that end, Fisher Marantz Stone (FMS) was brought into the project, crafting a layered lighting design that transports visitors away from the busy streets and distractions of the city into a calm and tranquil environment.

Reflecting on the project, Zack Zanolli, Consulting Principal at FMS, tells arc of its beginnings, and how the vision of Weishaar in particular helped to bring it all together.

“The World War I Foundation, working with the Pershing memorial trust, wanted to expand the site. Joe wanted to embrace the Pershing Memorial and adapt it into a larger memorial honouring the World War I veteran. The Howard sculpture serves as the new focal point within the expanded landscape of the park.”

Central to Fisher Marantz Stone’s lighting concept was a multi-layered approach to enhance the experience as visitors proceed to the central viewing platform. The intention was to shield a contemplative memorial from the noise of the surrounding city, leading visitors from the busy urban street to a secluded environment, allowing them to focus on the memorial itself.

Zanolli explains this approach further: “The typical Washington street scene is quite glary, with acornshaped lanterns that throw light everywhere. With our transitions, we moved from vehicle-oriented street lighting into low brightness pedestrian pathways.”

The park features an elevated landscaped berm on two sides, where visitors can view the sculpture and activities of people in the central plaza. As visitors continue their journey, path lighting is reduced, with focus concentrated towards the sculpture.

“The site was large enough to allow visitors to shift their visual acuity from broad, horizontal areas of brightness at the perimeter to the dramatic vertical brightness of the sculpture within,” Zanolli adds.

“We utilised different pole heights to modify the lighting layers – one of which included a historic pole from the 1960s, when Jaqueline Kennedy initiated a city beautification project along Pennsylvania Avenue.

“Thankfully it has a beautiful low brightness pedestrian scale profile,” Zanolli says. “We embraced the variety of lighting scales among the existing fixtures instead of forcing a ‘one pole fits all’ approach.”

The lighting works in harmony with the park renovation and is an example of the strong collaboration within the design team.

Zanolli continues: “One of the challenges in landscape design is that you can’t really design for day one. You expect the trees and the landscape to mature over time. Crepe Myrtle was selected for the primary tree for its initial volume as a young plant which also fills out relatively quickly.

“Land Collective also employed tall grasses at the edges of the site to soften that transition to the screening tree canopies at the overlook. Closer to the centre, the trees are more strategically planted to align the view corridors. This allowed the pathways to be shielded from the bright perimeter while allowing for a variety of views from different directions.”

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Zanolli feels that Fisher Marantz Stone eschewed the common floodlighting approach to monument illumination for something more dramatic and theatrical.

“We believe that landscape lighting levels can be very minimal if you can understand your perimeter environment. Lighting one’s face is not as important as knowing your surround. This means that when you are in the quietest centre of the plaza, you are embraced by a horizon of glowing landscape and water, with the animated highlights of the bronze,” he says.

“It’s perfectly safe and feels secure, even though there’s virtually no light where you’re standing.”

The larger-than-life sculpture is highlighted with an array of 48 small wattage, narrow beam accent fixtures located high and to the side of the memorial. With 12 separate control zones, the fixtures highlight the seven vignettes that comprise the journey of a soldier, his family, and his country to war and back across the 60ft expanse of the memorial.

Zanolli explains further the lighting approach for the sculpture: “Knowing that the goal was to create a solemn place, our proposal was to reveal the stories within the sculpture in a quiet surround to consider the ideas being expressed. We wanted to give you time to reflect.”

Before bringing the piece to life, the designers proposed a lighting mock-up in collaboration with the sculptor at their studio in the South Bronx. As part of the commission, the sculptor had created a scale model, which Zanolli and his team were eager to exploit to verify lighting locations that could be replicated for the final installation.

“One of the wonderful things about lighting is that it is very easy to model in miniature because geometry is infinitely scalable; 20° is still 20° , whatever the size of the object. For our mock-up, we used the actual light fittings being proposing for the final installation, but only needed 25% of the plot.

“We established the proper setback and elevation in scale to demonstrate the ‘dance lighting concept’, which is essentially lighting high and to the side so that the outline is more impactful than the front. We also demonstrated key light from the north side and fill from the south with dimming control so that the sculptural elements became more dynamic.

“Altogether, it reads as a unified sculpture, but we found the dimming control was necessary to balance the near, mid, and far, poses in the composition.”

Through the mock-up, the lighting designers also examined how the material of the sculpture would react under light. “I was very fortunate that the sculptor is a traditionalist and loves form,” Zanolli says. “This lost wax commission could have been from the 18th or 19th century. The bronze is quite dark, and the patina is highly polished. That kind of specular surface can be death to a lighting design if you’re not careful. But, because the surface is an intricate web of rendered stone, fabric, twisted anatomy and facial expressions, you get thousands of reflections, some sparkle, and even deep shadows across the surface. It wound up being a lighting designer’s dream.”

The mock-up, Zanolli adds, proved critical not just in ensuring the optimal angles for the lighting, but in demonstrating to the various stakeholders that the project would be a success. Consensus proved to be a valuable asset over seven years of planning reviews and fund-raising.

From an architectural lighting perspective, Zanolli feels that one of the project’s greatest successes is how the park is given an entirely new dimension after dark.

He concludes: “Of course, the sculpture is beautiful in the day, but what I’ve really enjoyed when returning is that there is a different energy at night– you come away with a different view.” www.fmsp.com

Client: The Doughboy Foundation

Lighting Design: Zack Zanolli, Amy Leder; Fisher Marantz Stone, USA

Lead Designer: Joseph A. Weishaar

Architect of Record: GWWO

Architects, USA

Landscape Architect: David Rubin

Land Collective, USA

Sculptor: Sabin Howard

Lighting Specified: bk lighting, Ecosense, Hydrel, Lucifer, Lutron, Systemalux

Photography: Fisher Marantz Stone; AJJN Photography

College Road

London, UK

The nighttime identity of Europe’s tallest volumetric tower has been given an artistic flair, while preserving the night sky, thanks to a sensitive lighting scheme from DesignPlusLight

ollege Road is Europe’s tallest volumetric tower, redefining high-rise living with a bold form and lighting design that accentuates its architectural beauty. The scheme comprises two interconnected towers, 35 and 50 storeys high, offering 1,000 homes, alongside amenity and recreational spaces. DesignPlusLight (DPL), working closely with HTA Design and artist Adam Nathaniel Furman, crafted a scheme that fuses art, architecture, and light, all while aiming to preserve the night sky.

Working with long-term friends at HTA Architects, who brought DPL onto the project, the initial task was to illuminate the tripartite compositional façade. The project, developed by Tide Construction, follows the success of the neighbouring building Ten Degrees. However, specialist lighting design to enhance this building was an integral part of the planning consent. Determined to approach this scheme with greater intent, they ensured that its Richard Scieferinspired façade received the spotlight it deserved.

Integral to the scheme is the involvement of artist Adam Nathaniel Furman, whose richly textured ceramic tiles wrap around the base of the tower. These bespoke sculptural elements offer a unique opportunity for light to emphasise the architecture, creating a visually interesting and tactile experience for pedestrians and residents alike. The building makes a bold statement, standing at 163m, with an articulated construction that is beautifully expressed by daylight. The challenge was to translate this expression into the night.

From the outset, the project was conceived as a three-way conversation among the architect, artist, and lighting designer. Sanjit Bahra, Principal and Founder of DPL, explains: “Our lighting design and approach evolved from an iterative process of asking the right questions. For example, what does the building wish to achieve visually both during the day and at night? What are the main architectural features? What are the planning restrictions? What are the site-specific challenges? What is appropriate for the location, stylistically and within budget?”

This nuanced approach led to a restrained yet sophisticated lighting scheme that celebrates the building’s form and texture, not just its magnificent height. The colonnade’s sculptural tiles, the softly glazed façade, and the crown are all individually addressed, tied together through light and shadow. Central to the lighting scheme was the doubleheight colonnade supported by 16 columns, at 900mm in diameter and 7m tall. The columns are adorned in Furman’s sculpted British porcelain tiles, glazed in shades of indigo at the base that gradually move to white towards the top of the column, creating a gradient effect. To reveal the chromatic texture of the tilework, DPL used lowglare directional floor lights discreetly recessed into the paving, positioned to uplight the inner face of the columns and tile cladding.

“The walkway itself sloped a metre along the colonnade,” says Bahra. “We had to find a fixture that could not only pan and tilt but also allow for consistent modelling along an incline.”

That fixture came from LightGraphix, a bespoke solution with a wallwashing asymmetric distribution, and custom installation sleeves. The result is a seamless wash of upward light that makes the public art feature glow from within.

Moving up the building, the second-storey façade articulation, a key compositional zone in the overall tripartite design, is softly illuminated with angled LED linear lights from Tryka. These were cowled and tilted inwards to reduce light spill and ensure precise distribution.

“Dark Skies compliance was essential to the design,” continues Bahra. “Not only for the impact of the building’s lighting on surrounding birdlife, but also the location is close to Gatwick, therefore we wanted to minimise the impression of the building at night.”

The very top of the crown, composed of ceramic fins, steel framework, and faceted glazing, is subtly highlighted with linear grazers. Initially designed to light both storeys of the crown, the scheme was refined after a full-scale lighting mock-up.

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The final solution illuminates only the uppermost level and only one side of the facets, using contrast and restraint to deliver impact. “One can often forget that darkness can be a powerful tool in the lighting design palette,” reflects Bahra.

Rooftop garden spaces continue the story at the summit of each tower, balancing function, atmosphere, and creative flourish. The familyfocused communal garden and play area, 35-storeys up, uses discrete spot lighting and wall grazing to illuminate a feature mural that depicts the surrounding cityscape. The upper rooftop, by contrast, adopts a more theatrical tone. Gobo projectors cast dappled light across the planted terraces, evoking moonlight through trees and adding a touch of magic to the panoramic setting.

For a project as layered as this, the success of the lighting scheme came down to not only technical execution but also the strength of collaboration.

DPL worked closely with the architects and Furman from concept to completion, ensuring the lighting design responded directly to the building’s architectural language and artistic elements.

“I don’t believe lighting design can or should be carried out in isolation,” says Bahra. “It has to come out of collaborative conversations with the lead designers. We then use our expertise to refine and adapt their vision with our lighting expertise.”

The process involved regular design meetings, mock-ups, and interactive conversations where aesthetic ambitions met site realities. Whether it was refining the light levels on the ceramic tiles or testing grazing angles at 163m above the city, each decision was shaped through shared intent. This synergy was especially critical in integrating the lighting in Furman’s sculptural tilework at ground level. The bespoke ceramic tiles are already bold, colourful and textural, carrying their own visual identity. The lighting needed to enhance the lead vision, not compete with it. The result is a luminous dialogue between surface and structure, where light brings art to life and the art gives the light a purpose.

Since its completion, College Road has already won a trio of construction and innovation awards for its groundbreaking volumetric building system. The lighting scheme has also garnered widespread praise – not just from the client and design teams, but also the people who inhabit the building.

Residents have noticed the difference in being in a space that isn’t overly lit, yet still feels wonderfully illuminated.

The same residents have commented on how the lighting reflects a “calm” and “considered” atmosphere; it brings a sense of identity to the building without overwhelming it.

Bahra says: “We’re incredibly proud of the result. The building is sensitively and tastefully lit. It resides comfortably within the surrounding cityscape yet makes a profound statement for both Croydon and Tide. We love how our initial design concept was refined to have less lighting. I feel this has created a more impactful impression in the nightscape. It’s a wonderful example of how less can often mean more.”

For the client, the lighting adds significant value to the project’s civic and architectural presence. This scheme has been noted as a case study in how light can enhance both architecture and the public realm. Ultimately, the lighting has not just shaped how the building looks at night, but it has also redefined how it feels to move through, gather within, and look up at this new vertical landmark. At first glance, the lighting design for this project might appear understated, especially in an era where spectacle often overshadows subtlety. However, it is precisely the restraint in DPL’s design that achieves its success. By responding to the architecture’s rhythm and the artist’s vision while managing environmental sensitivity, DesignPlusLight has crafted a scheme that does not compete for attention but instead is a key component in amplifying the building’s narrative. This is because the lighting is used in context, both physically and culturally. From the soft articulation of Furman’s tilework to the soaring sculptural crown, every illuminated detail serves a purpose. There is no unnecessary drama, just a considered emphasis on design. For Bahra and his team, the greatest triumph is how less light was used to create such a big impact.

“We ended up using less light than we originally planned. This turned out to be more impactful,” says Bahra.

In the ever-growing conversation around dark skies, night scape, sustainability and the emotional intelligence of design, this project stands out as a top-tier example of how lighting can be the strongest gesture in architecture and sometimes the most powerful gesture is knowing when – and where – to stop.

www.designpluslight.com

Lighting Design: Sanjit Bahra; DesignPlusLight, UK

Architect: HTA Design, UK

Artist: Adam Nathanial Furman

Lighting Specified: LightGraphix, Lucent Lighting, Tryka

Photography: Stuart Bailey, DesignPlusLight

Olympic Villa

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The Olympic Villa in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is a project that redefines opulence and architectural harmony. Inspired by traditional Khmer aesthetics, the building features pale hues and sculptural volumes, enhanced by precious materials, gilded finishes, and refined details both indoors and throughout the villa’s expansive outdoor spaces.

A focal point of this luxurious complex is the swimming pool – an elegant composition of geometry and fluidity, created as a sequence of wellness and leisure areas spread over multiple levels. Within this context, lighting helps to transform the pool into a living jewel: a luminous body that continuously shifts in colour and

tone, turning every swim into a multisensory experience. Conceived as a gem embedded in the landscape, the pool offers privacy, atmosphere, and an unmistakable signature of Italian excellence.

The pool’s floor features a combination of glass mosaic from the SICIS Murano Collection for the vertical surfaces and the Vetrite backlit system on the floor – a patented innovation developed by SICIS in collaboration with Promotech Italia.

The heart of the system is Neptune, an ultralow voltage lighting technology specifically designed for aquatic environments. This patented approach combines functionality, safety, and striking visual impact, creating a constantly

changing kaleidoscope of reflections and depth.

For this project, SICIS selected 120x120cm slabs of Gem Glass Opalescent in the “Boulder” variant, installed in a book-matched layout across the pool’s 98sqm surface. The slabs display layered hues of green, evoking the veins of natural stones, volcanic textures, and celestial terrains. The result is a luminous surface that plays with perception – each glance revealing new nuances and forms.

The Vetrite backlit pool system represents a groundbreaking fusion of design and engineering, tailored to meet the aesthetic and technical needs of luxury hotels, spas, resorts, and private villas. Developed in partnership

with Promotech Italia, the system is based on an ultralow voltage backlighting system that guarantees total safety even in high-humidity environments.

At its core, the system leverages the opalescent beauty of Vetrite slabs: large-format glass surfaces that diffuse light with remarkable depth and clarity. The Vetrite slabs are smooth, nonporous, UV- and chemical-resistant, and easy to maintain. The slabs are also engineered for maximum safety and durability: the special antislip finish ensures grip even in wet conditions, while their structural strength makes them suitable for daily intensive use. www.sicis.com

Medical Firm

Headquarters Nümbrecht, Germany

Fixtures from ADO Lights help to create a peaceful, inviting landscaped environment for employees of a prominent medical firm.

Nestled in the serene surroundings of Nümbrecht, the new headquarters of a prominent medical firm features a thoughtfully landscaped outdoor park, crafted to offer a peaceful, inviting space for employees and guests to enjoy. Bringing this vision to life, RON Planungsbüro Nierstenhöfer curated a sophisticated lighting concept, turning to ADO Lights for its custom LED solutions to elevate the park’s natural charm.

To set a warm, welcoming mood, around 600m of ADO Lights’ LED Lightline 12.30 were discreetly woven into the design. With their soft 3000K glow, these lightlines were placed with precision to highlight the winding paths, garden beds, and shared spaces – creating an atmosphere that feels both natural and intentionally illuminated. What sets this installation apart is how gracefully it flows with the landscape. Of the total length, 475m were installed in straight sections, while 125m followed gentle curves, tracing the garden contours. This careful integration brings a calming visual rhythm that reinforces the park’s organic feel.

Executing this vision, however, demanded technical finesse. The shift from straight to curved lighting had to be executed with great precision to preserve the seamless, uniform glow. Thanks to ADO Lights’ dark zone-free technology, the final result is an even, consistent illumination that subtly enhances the environment after dark.

Durability and sustainability were equally vital to the project’s success. Built to last, the Lightline 12.30 features UV-resistant, IP68-rated casings that are fully weatherproof. Replaceable profiles also allow for long-term flexibility, aligning perfectly with the company’s commitment to environmentally responsible design.

Ultimately, the project highlights ADO Lights’ expertise in delivering bespoke lighting systems that blend architecture and nature. The finished landscape doesn’t just look beautiful, it transforms the corporate setting into a tranquil retreat for everyone who passes through.

www.ado-lights.com

Image: Peter von Pigage

Queen’s Wharf

Brisbane, Australia

A prominent landmark in Brisbane’s Central Business District, Queen’s Wharf has a dynamic new façade lighting system, powered by Pharos Architectural Controls

Located in Brisbane’s Central Business District (CBD), Queen’s Wharf is a $3.6bn premier entertainment and hospitality precinct, elevating Brisbane as a leading tourism, leisure, and entertainment destination. The new development showcases one of the largest façade lighting installations in the country, with immersive light and sound experiences created using an innovative video lighting system from Pharos Architectural Controls.

The Queen’s Wharf development has transformed Brisbane’s river edge area into an unmissable destination. At its heart is The Star Brisbane, an imposing structure that houses a selection of the city’s grandest luxury hotels alongside restaurants, bars and retail spaces. Featuring an impressive façade, Queen’s Wharf illuminates Brisbane’s everevolving skyline as darkness falls.

Integrated solutions provider, bluebottle, was appointed to deliver the façade’s light show by supplying and commissioning the required solutions. Having worked with Pharos Architectural Controls on a number of successful projects, the bluebottle team knew it would be the ideal partner for Queen’s Wharf.

To bring the illuminated façade from vision to reality, bluebottle partnered with Perigon Electrical to supply and commission a 250-universe Pharos Designer VLC (Video Lighting Controller). With a capacity exceeding 120,000 DMX channels, the VLC controls 4,000 Phillips UNI bar fixtures in a spectacular light show which brings the skyline to life every evening, offering entertainment and bedazzlement.

The Pharos Designer VLC is an extremely capable and cost-effective architectural lighting control solution for large LED pixel arrays; for building façades such as Queen’s Wharf as well as bridges, and presentation walls. The VLC makes it simple to play video content across any array, either from locally stored HD media files or a live video input source. It also offers a range of creative, generative effects and the versatility of powerful show control and integration features.

Lighting solutions provider, bluebottle, said: “The VLC from Pharos was the ideal control system to meet the unique needs and huge scale of this project. With its ability to programme both lighting and video content across this extremely large pixel array, while maintaining the highest levels of reliability and robustness, this was exactly what was needed to illuminate Queen’s Wharf.

“The intuitive technology also gave us the ability to set colours and scenes which highlight national days and occasions which is an important part of this project.”

The construction of the Queen’s Wharf development is one of the largest projects ever undertaken in Queensland. It represents nearly 10% of the CBD, demonstrating the huge footprint it encompasses. The precinct has transformed what was once an underused area into a vibrant and stunning destination, blending contemporary architecture with beautifully restored heritage buildings.

www.pharoscontrols.com

Image: Marlo Cobham / bluebottle

Noex

Komorniki, Poland

At Noex, LED Lume reimagines exterior illumination with Neon LLF 15, subtle, architectural lighting that sculpts shadow and form into a statement of refined modernity.

At night, the building comes alive not with brightness, but with intention. From a distance, it doesn’t just sit in the landscape, it emerges from it, like a monolith traced in light. The façade is a canvas of contrast, where vertical ribbons of illumination cut through deep matte cladding, creating a rhythm that feels both futuristic and calm. Light isn’t used here to simply highlight, it’s used to define. Each line draws the eye upward, elongating the structure, dissolving the boundary between architecture and atmosphere.

The typical expectation might lean towards uniform floodlighting, but this design takes a different path. It withholds. It chooses where to glow and where to fade. Between the illuminated fins, shadowed recesses give the elevation depth, making the structure feel layered, almost in motion. This tension between dark and light is what sets the tone, an elegant restraint that suggests modern luxury without spectacle.

Subtle, concealed lighting at the base guides visitors toward the entrance, not by overwhelming brightness, but by shaping the path ahead. The glow is soft, carefully colour-tuned to stay neutral and sophisticated, allowing the architectural lines to stay sharp while offering a sense of quiet clarity.

The system is fully DALI controlled, letting the lighting dim when needed without losing its clarity or intent. Nothing glares or competes. Instead, the light hugs surfaces, emphasises edges, and allows space to fall away behind it.

The interplay of materials heightens the effect. Gloss meets matte, reflection meets absorption. Each surface was chosen not just for texture, but for how it receives and manipulates light. As a result, the façade doesn’t simply reflect, at times it seems to shimmer, catching motion in the corner of the eye, inviting a second glance.

Even the signage avoids the obvious. Its illumination is deliberate and balanced – present but never overpowering. It’s as though the letters were lit from within, quietly asserting their presence with confidence rather than flash.

Walking past, there’s a feeling that the building is watching, breathing, aware. This is not a backdrop, it’s a living exterior, a performance choreographed in light and silence. In this space, lighting doesn’t just reveal what’s there, it creates what wasn’t, sculpting mood and memory into the night.

www.ledlume.pl

Town Branch Commons Lexington, USA

Transforming a formerly inaccessible waterway into a scenic, pedestrianised path, landscape architects at SCAPE utilised fittings from Landscape Forms

In 2012, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) launched an international design competition to reimagine the path of Town Branch Creek, a long-buried waterway running beneath downtown Lexington. Once confined to an underground culvert, the creek’s historic route was flanked by high-speed, pedestrian-unfriendly streets. The city’s goal: to transform this corridor into a vibrant, safe, and connected public space with traffic-calmed roadways, improved lighting, and welcoming amenities.

Landscape architecture firm SCAPE, led by design principal Gena Wirth, won the competition with a bold vision to trace the creek’s path, express water in new ways, and enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety. SCAPE partnered with Gresham Smith to implement the project, and in October 2022, the revitalised corridor – now known as Town Branch Commons – was officially unveiled.

SCAPE’s design draws from the region’s unique Bluegrass geology, where underground water carves through porous limestone. This natural process inspired the use of cascading limestone slabs to define pathways, symbolising a stream cutting through rock.

“It’s about storytelling, placemaking, and making the area safer,” Wirth explains. These slabs also serve a functional role, helping to separate pedestrian zones from vehicle traffic. Interspersed among the stone walls are precast concrete seating and cues to guide users through the space. Rain gardens and plazas line the linear park, capturing and filtering stormwater before it enters the Town Branch culvert. These gardens, along

with seating areas and a splash pad, offer both environmental utility and social value – spaces where visitors can relax, meet, or play. As newly planted trees mature, they’ll create shaded, comfortable places to linger, contributing to the park’s evolving character.

Lighting was another crucial aspect of the design. SCAPE and Gresham Smith selected Torres area lights for their warm, welcoming glow and multifunctional performance. Mounted at 12ft with a soft 3000K colour temperature, these fixtures meet Dark Sky standards, making them both peoplefriendly and environmentally responsible.

“Lighting became part of the lexicon of this project,” notes Patrick Henry of Gresham Smith. The simple, elegant design of the fixtures complements the rugged stone and clean architectural elements, helping define a unique sense of place.

Local architect Erin Masterson, part of the Gresham Smith team, has experienced the Commons at night. She highlights the lighting’s warmth and appeal, saying: “This isn’t the garish light people associate with roadways. It blends in, but people notice it because it’s beautiful.”

The transformation goes beyond aesthetics. Oncevacant ground floors along Vine and Main Streets are springing back to life as foot traffic increases and community engagement grows.

With its blend of heritage, safety, sustainability, and beauty, Town Branch Commons stands as a compelling model of how urban design can reconnect a city with its landscape, and with its people.

www.landscapeforms.com

Hotel Sorrisniva Alta, Norway

Blending the architectural form of the hotel, bollards from Neko Lighting bring a respectful, precise and functional illumination that can endure even the harshest winters.

Amidst the vast, snow-blanketed wilderness of Norway, Hotel Sorrisniva stands as a harmonious blend of architecture and nature, its sharp rooflines mirroring the jagged peaks beyond. Here, where the light is scarce and the nights stretch long, illumination becomes an art form – crafted with purpose, precision, and a deep respect for the environment.

To achieve this seamless integration, the designers turned to Neko’s Durban Series – a collection of outdoor bollard lights designed to endure even the harshest Arctic conditions. Engineered with robust weatherproofing, the Durban Series not only resists moisture and sub-zero temperatures, but also remains resilient under snow and frost.

This makes it the ideal companion for the hotel’s exposed walkways and pathways, ensuring that even during heavy snowfall, the lights maintain their clarity and warmth.

Visually, the Durban bollards are a study in minimalist geometry – clean lines, sharp edges, and a structured silhouette that effortlessly blends with the hotel’s modern aesthetic. Their folded, angular design mirrors the architectural language of Hotel Sorrisniva, creating a visual dialogue between built form and natural landscape.

Installed in rhythmic intervals, these lights carve gentle paths of illumination across the snow, turning each step into an interplay of shadow and light.

Even as snow drapes the landscape in silence, the Durban Series pierces through with elegance and reliability, defining paths and framing the architecture against the frosted canvas. At Hotel Sorrisniva, light is not merely functional – it is sculptural, shaping experiences and inviting guests to explore the serene beauty of the Arctic in perfect clarity.

www.nekolighting.com

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BUILT FOR THE OUTDOORS.

With a pixel pitch of just 25mm, the VNL-3D35C delivers twice the resolution of standard media tubes – perfect for vivid, high-impact visuals across curved or contoured surfaces. Crafted for performance and durability, its IP68-rated silicone housing resists saltwater, UV, and urban grime, making it ideal for media facades, cruise ships, or any high-traffic public space.

Milan Design Week

This April, the design community once again returned to Milan, with product launches, showroom events and beautiful installations held throughout the Italian city. Here, we look back at some of the highlights from across Milan Design Week, while some lighting experts also share their thoughts and experiences.

Elle Decor Alchemica

Elle Decor x Patricia Urquiola

For 2025, Elle Decor Italia returned to Milan’s historic Palazzo Bovara for its annual exhibition, this year titled Elle Decor Alchemica. The theme was envisioned to reflect Elle Decor Italia’s ongoing interest in contemporary lifestyles and ways of living.

Elle Decor Alchemica was conceived by Patricia Urquiola, in collaboration with Valerio Tibery of K5600design for the lighting design, and Antonio Perazzi for the landscape design.

“In 2025, Elle Decor Italia celebrates its 35th anniversary. Since 1990, the magazine has been offering a very specific perspective, observing the domestic dimension with a focus on the present and the future,” explains Livia Peraldo Matton, Editor-in-Chief of Elle Decor Italia. “Today, once again, our aim is to explore the evolution of living spaces, which reflects sociocultural dynamics, lifestyle shifts, and transformations in an ever-changing world.

“Elle Decor Alchemica was therefore conceived as a journey into a new idea of living, shaped by key themes such as fluidity of space, the relationship with nature, the dialogue between craft and industrial design, and an ever growing attention to ecology. To give form to such a complex vision, we chose to entrust the task to Patricia Urquiola, who approached it with a completely new and unexpected interpretive key.”

It is within this context that Elle Decor Alchemica emerged, intertwining the magazine’s vision with the metaphor of alchemy, an ancient practice that explores the transformation of matter as both a physical process and a symbol of growth and change.

Designed to be experienced in a circular, potentially infinite way, alchemy was expressed through an evocative and intuitive language that recalls the metamorphosis of domestic spaces, in tune with an ever-evolving society.

Images: MAF Studio

“The home itself is an ever-changing organism, shifting throughout the day, the seasons, and the different stages of life, responding to shared needs, as well as individual differences,” explains Urquiola.

“With Elle Decor Alchemica, we explore change through the metaphor of alchemy: elements that blend, hybridise, and give rise to new forms. Space is no longer static, but a living organism, capable of adapting and interacting with its inhabitants.”

The exhibition was centred around three fundamental stages of the alchemical process – Nigredo, Albedo, and Rubedo – which unfolded across ten different environments, including a kitchen-laboratory, a relaxation room, a space dedicated to bathing and purification, and a large indoor garden. There was also a room featuring the Philosopher’s Stone – represented here by a monolithic sculpture celebrating the emblem of alchemy – and another environment that revolved the Ouroboros, a mythological creature symbolising the idea of an endless cycle of evolution.

In this context, light also played a crucial role in guiding the metamorphosis. “The essence of our work lies in the idea of ‘telling stories through light’,” explains Valerio Tiberi. “Room by room, we used lighting to follow the ‘alchemical path’ of the visitor, giving each

space a dynamic, fluid quality, both in terms of colour and intensity.”

Light therefore becomes a protagonist throughout Elle Decor Alchemica – shifting emotions, sculpting textures, and building contrast. From soft glows to theatrical accents, every beam is choreographed to dramatize space and evoke feeling.

Tiberi and Urquiola collaborated with formalighting to realise the lighting throughout. Bringing its advanced architectural lighting solutions to the forefront, formalighting’s discreet, yet powerful Microline linear systems were seamlessly integrated into the architecture. Meanwhile the sharp precision of its Zero Framing Projectors, using gobos and colour temperature contrasts up to 5000K, and the adaptive elegance of its Moto-Zero Zoom

Full-Spectrum help to reconfigure the space through dynamic movement, beam control, and colour transitions.

Elle Decor Alchemica was therefore a space where light was not simply applied – it was orchestrated; a space that breathed, inspired, and connected.

www.elledecor.com

www.patriciaurquiola.com www.k5600design.com www.formalighting.com

Mother Robert Wilson

Acting as a curtain raiser to this year’s Milan Design Week as the first installation open to the public, American artist Robert Wilson designed Mother, a “total work” dedicated to Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini sculpture –one of the most iconic works of art in Milan. A master of the creative use of light, Wilson created an installation that measures itself against the power of the “unfinished”, an energy suspended between matter and thought, in a dramaturgical dialogue with Stabat Mater, a medieval prayer, stylised through a vocal and instrumental composition from Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.

Designed to act as a profound reflection on the dimension of time and space, Mother was not a scenography, but a breathing space; an openness, an invitation to contemplation; a dialogue between light, shadow and sound that doesn’t narrate, but welcomed and allowed the spectator to find their own inner space and emotional resonance.

Speaking of the piece, Wilson said: “Light is what gives shape to space. Without light, space does not exist. Albert Einstein said

that light is the measure of all things. For me, it is always the starting point. If I have to set up an exhibition, I start with light. If I create a play or opera, I start with light. Because light is not just a technical element, it is a living presence, an actual protagonist. Light is not a detail to be added later, it is the beginning of everything.

“When I first saw Michelangelo’s Rondanini Pietà, I sat there in front of it for more than an hour. I can’t say exactly how long it was, but it was as if the world had stopped. I felt a powerful energy, an almost mystical presence. Perhaps the very fact that it is unfinished is what makes it so extraordinary. It is like an open window, a space suspended between the visible and the invisible. She asked me to listen, to imagine, to lose myself in her. She allowed me to exist in a different time, a different space in which to think, to dream. The emotion I felt was powerful; the idea of staging her affected me deeply.

“The Pietà doesn’t need a setting, it just needs a space, a breath, silence, so that those who observe her can lose themselves in their own thoughts and emotions.”

www.robertwilson.com

Konstantin Klaas Licht Kunst Licht

Reggiani showed Hybrid, an innovative new recessed adjustable downlight. Different than comparable products, a sophisticated mechanism (they call it dark shield) avoids creating an opening into the drop ceiling where spill light can exit or dust can enter the space. Additionally, the fixture will be available with its patented ILM technology (Interchangeable LED Module), which gives clients the option to exchange the LED-Chip, which is embedded in a exchangeable lamp holder. This leaves the freedom to change colour temperature, update to a more efficient generation of chips, or exchange malfunctioning LEDs without the need to unmount the entire fixture or even replace it entirely.

Genuit is a company from Mantova, Italy, which showed Skyne, a great and very versatile installation system including many lighting fixture options, that can be entirely surface mounted. It resembles classical ductwork installations with vintage luminaires, and adds innovative elements from the lighting industry like flexible neon tubes. With different finishes from raw metal to colourful coatings it offers endless possibilities, especially for renovations.

Lucifer Lighting from the US showed a larger and sleeker version of the Stellr luminaire using the same magical waveguide technology, making the fixture a multi-talent when it comes to creating different atmospheres in spaces. The downlight component in the centre creates a strong directed light whereas the individually controllable wave-guide can create plenty of diffused light, from super warm to cold, giving the fixture an always changing and immaterial emergence. My personal highlight when it comes to installations was the installation The Cave in the Museo della Permanente, which completely infatuated me. I could not believe high-tech robotics, electro-mechanical bellows, playing sound on bird bones could create such an poetry, when put in the right light. Then work of A.A. Murakami had me shackled for a good while. www.lichtkunstlicht.com

Image: Lucie Jansch, courtesy of Salone del Mobile

Collected Light Volume Two Book Launch

Light Collective

As part of Milan Design Week 2025, Light Collective proudly launched Collected Light Volume Two: Women Light Artists on the evening of 10th April during a vibrant and meaningful event at Casa Ortelli. The venue featured heavily in Milan Design Week as it was transformed as part of the elledecor.it takeover. Curated by Sharon Stammers and Martin Lupton, the book highlights the luminous contributions of women working with light and serves as a testament to the power of creativity and community within the global lighting industry. The evening featured inspiring light art installations by Chila Kumari Burman, Clara Daguin, Jacqueline Hen and Tamar Frank, bringing together lighting design professionals, artists and supporters from around the world during Milan Design Week.

Peter Earle

There’s not many ‘first times’ left in life for me, but visiting Euroluce is one of them. Two days of walking round the show left me with these thoughts. Wonderful use of materials, highly engineered, reconstituted stone reflectors, elastic, beautiful veneers, crystals, glass and steel. Name designers credited for creating certain ranges, hockey stick form factors, tessellations, suspended abstract shapes and chandeliers. Almost ignoring the light. Or despite the light. So, I drew my two spectrometers from their holsters and went to hold the brands to account for their quality of light. Guess what I discovered? That many of the stand crew had no idea what a spectrometer is! But also… Mostly, it was depressing. Top global brands with thousands of square metres of booth, with those name designer

branded fittings, were delivering light quality with headacheinducing >90% flicker and almost non-existent or negative R9. Although the topline CRI readings were coming in between 75 and 92, a deeper dive into the spectral content showed the inconsistencies and poor light quality for fittings that cost €1000. Colour points along the black body locus (Duv) seemed to be randomly distributed, even between luminaires sited next to each other. All the while the literature claiming ambient, relaxing or energising, rejuvenating light. It was clear that quality of light isn’t high up the list, nor are the topics of controls, sustainability or human-centric outcomes. It’s all about the aesthetics. Don’t get me wrong, maybe this is an opportunity, to do better.

I saw the Google kinetic light installation. What if Google did lighting? Count me in, they are human-centric beyond belief. Notable no-strings exceptions worth mentioning that I happened to find – kreon, Vibia, Swarowski and Tom Rossau.

Sponsored by leading Italian lighting manufacturer, formalighting, who have been supporters of the Women in Lighing project since its inception more than five years ago, and hosted with the generous support of Elle Decor Italia, the Opening Aperitivo welcomed guests for an evening of connection and celebration. The artists Clara Daguin and Jacqueline Hen were interviews by Elle Decor Italia as part of their “Interviews with the Designer” Series. The artworks remained on display at Casa Ortelli until April 13th and everyone who attended received a copy of the new book. www.lightcollective.net www.womeninlighting.com

MDW is always a delight, coming together in a beautiful city with so much of the design community, and seeking inspiration. For me, it was smaller companies, like Grau and Ambientec, who captured my heart with the way they have embraced creating an ambience with light. I left many of the larger manufacturers feeling uninspired though, who seemed a little bereft of ideas. The biggest takeaway though was how light wove through everything. It was incredible at the Hermes and Aesop installations, and every nonlighting professional I spoke to mentioned how exciting they found lighting this year. www.akarui.com

Images: Giorgia Brusemini, Katia Kolovea

Marcus Steffen Akarui

Aevum

Zaha Hadid Architects x Vertico

A milestone in architectural 3D concrete printing, Aevum is an installation designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, in collaboration with Vertico, for the Interni ‘Cre-Action’ exhibition at the Università degli Studi di Milano. Meaning ‘eternity’ in Latin, Aevum looked to reflect both the timeless beauty of marble and the ongoing research of integrating stone waste to the modern construction methods.

Drawing inspiration from its setting, Aevum looked to establish a dialogue between historic architecture and future construction possibilities. The 6x6m structure consisted of two arches, offset from each other, to create a dynamic interaction with the surrounding space. One arch was carved from solid marble,

the other 3D printed by Vertico. Together, they formed a compelling synergy between heritage craftsmanship and cutting-edge construction technology. Lit by luminaires from Griven, Aevum stood as a metaphor for architectural evolution, connecting centuries-old stone carving techniques with the digital precision of robot printing, and links natural materials with algorithmic design. www.zaha-hadid.com

Wojtek Cieplik Brandt & Partners

Milan Design Week 2025 left me glowing, energised yet reflective. Euroluce, Salone del Mobile and Fuorisalone showcased lighting’s cutting edge, but the gaps were as telling as the glow.

The standouts? Making the Invisible Visible by Lachlan Turczan and Ivy Ross at Garage21 merged light, water and motion into a hypnotic and nearly haptic (!) experience: a proof of light’s emotive depth.

Viabizzuno’s Aura, crafted with Snøhetta, spun light into an invisible vortex at their laboratorio della luce inmilano - a mathematical marvel by one of my favourite brands in the industry.

LUCE 5’s HYLEtech panels, just 1cm thick, fused light into matter, hinting at a future where light becomes an invisible part of the structure.

Grau’s “Fire” lamps with Sunset Dimming echoed my own product LuxiTune: a warm-dimmable L3 LED module. Although I didn’t measure spectrum nor enquired about their control protocols, Grau’s spectral warmth felt like home.

Marset’s “Drop” by Till Armbrüster and Naiara Caballero captured light like dew drop, prioritising the illuminated space over the fixture. Pure brilliance.

Cooledge Lighting’s Dance & Drink Night offered a rare chance to connect with industry peers.

The shadows? Too many fixtures dazzled in form but faltered in function: flickering, low CRI and unflattering tones. Swarovski and Kreon stood out as exceptions.

Human-centric lighting took a backseat to efficiency. Wellbeing shouldn’t be – no, mustn’t be – a tradeoff.

Outdoor designs ignored fauna-friendly spectral shifts.

Logistics? Queues and QR code overload tested everyone’s patience. “Lead generation” thinking disrupts communication, collaboration and inspiration.

The opportunity? Decorative lighting skips the circular economy and that’s okay. Inspiration trumps reuse here. But with 20 years in the field, I see a bigger need: hybrid leaders who master tech, design and sustainability. Euroluce shines bright, but the industry transformation started. www.brandtpartners.com

Image: Vertico

With over 280 configurations as standard, the NAVAR series hosts outstanding spacing opportunities and exceptional efficiency due to its bespoke optical system.

Light Box

At the Triennale Milano Museum, Erco presented photographs that capture the essence of architecture, light and design; narratives of iconic buildings, innovative lighting concepts, and the people behind them, captured by renowned photographers and displayed in a minimalist, light-filled space. Since the mid-1970s, under the influence of designer Otl Aicher, Erco has developed a strong curatorial approach to photography. The Light box has always been a working tool – originally as a backlit table for selecting from hundreds of slide motifs for catalogues, client magazines or advertisements, and today as a digital and full-screen metaphor for modern media and production processes. Over the years, Erco has fostered collaborations with leading contemporary photographers,

establishing a distinct, brand-defining visual language.

The Light Box exhibition presented selected images from four decades of Erco photography in a re-imagined space. It offered a unique perspective on architectural and lighting design projects, creating processes and key industry figures, while making light itself an immersive element. www.erco.com

Katia Kolovea Archifos

Milan Design Week continues to be one of the most energising moments of the year, and with Euroluce back this time, for me it felt even more creatively charged. From product launches and artistic collaborations to immersive sensory journeys, the entire week was packed with inspiration.

What I’ve always loved about Euroluce is how brands express their identity through beautifully curated booths, thoughtful, aesthetic, and experience-driven. This year, I was impressed from the serene interplay of light and shadow at Ambientec, the playful Light Swing at Saas Instruments, Lasvit’s poetic waterinspired caustic reflections, and Lodes’ sparkling tunnel, a fully immersive celebration of light, sound, and movement. A special highlight was the Euroluce International Lighting Forum, which hosted one of the most open and compelling conversations I’ve attended in lighting recently.

On a personal note, I had the joy of collaborating with formalighting, exclusive architectural lighting partner of Elle Decor Italia, to document their installation at Palazzo Bovara. Watching stage lighting designer Valerio Tiberi translate Patricia Urquiola’s Alchemica concept into a scenographic lighting experience using architectural fixtures was something truly unique.

Choosing just a few city highlights is nearly impossible, but these stood out: the Lavazza Source of Pleasure tunnel, smelling coffee as you move toward a multisensory waterfall you could hear, see, and almost feel. Es Devlin’s Library of Light was another standout, especially at night. There was something magnetic about watching people engage with it in silence, under the new moon, guided by poetic sound. Over in Tortona, the Superdesign Show br product interaction. Lastly, Aesop’s Second Skin experience was a luxurious sensory journey, blending scent, touch, and atmosphere in a memorable way. Bonus points for the brilliant marketing: visitors received a “potential” gift coupon inviting them to visit the new Milan store, and yes, we walked over and were given surprise samples!

In the end, it’s always the mix of inspiration, spontaneity, and human connection that makes Milan so special. The random conversations in (yes, very annoying long) queues, the unavoidable FOMO, and those creative sparks in unexpected corners, reminding you that somehow, you will be absorbing a thousand ideas in just one day. www.archifos.com

Erco

Image: Marcela Schneider Ferreira

Martina Alagna

MAD Creative Studio

Milan Design Week remains one of the most influential events on the global design calendar; a citywide celebration of creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship that continues to set the tone for the year ahead. Each April, Milan transforms into a living gallery where design ideas are not just exhibited but experienced, and 2025 was no exception. From lighting and architecture to collectible furniture and emerging narratives, this year’s edition delivered inspiration at every turn. As always, I came in search of fresh ideas, meaningful conversations, and collaborations that challenge the status quo and Milan delivered.

The return of Euroluce at Salone del Mobile reminded us that light isn’t just functional, it’s increasingly sculptural, emotional, and interactive.

We saw a thoughtful fusion of technical precision and decorative elegance. Designers embraced light as a sculptural and atmospheric medium, shaping spaces through reflections, softness, and movement. There was a strong presence of paper and fabric structures treated to endure weather or manipulated into dynamic indoor compositions. Sculptural neon and perforated metals made a nostalgic-futurist comeback, while the mid-century aesthetic continued to assert its influence, refined with LED innovations and heritage nods. Across Fuorisalone, the line between art and design blurred more than ever. Some moments felt like pure spectacle, others like deeply personal storytelling.

The standout was Es Devlin’s breathtaking rotating library at Pinacoteca di Brera, a luminous, meditative stage for evening performances. The sheer scale was impressive. Superstudio in Tortona and Palazzo Litta offered their usual high production value, but it was in the quieter corners of the city that more intimate encounters emerged.

Nilufar Depot was a perennial favourite: a theatre of collectible design, lighting, and art in serene conversation. Capsule Spazio offered tactile experimentation and thoughtful curation. WonderGlass felt like a dreamscape. And Appartamento by Artemest reimagined historic interiors through a collective design lens, with interior designers from around the world contributing eccentric rooms that bridged tradition and innovation.

At Villa Necchi, Occhio’s showroom was a showcase of hi-tech decorative lighting. Across town, Villa Borsani was reinterpreted by Elle Decor Italia with lighting by formalighting and curated by Patricia Urquiola, a poetic balance of heritage and contemporary sensibility. The neighbouring Spanish Apartment echoed this warmth and layered storytelling with unique light pieces.

Other highlights included Studio Drift x Audi’s sculptural installation where kinetic bulbs swayed in response to visitors’ movements, mimicking wind in a field of grass. At Palazzo La Permanente, the futuristic collaboration with Kia, featuring A.A. Murakami and Philippe Parreno, explored our relationship with time and participatory practices, where machines generated motion in surreal, imagined worlds.

The final day was reserved for Alcova, which returned with strength across three captivating locations: the rationalist dream of Villa Borsani, the faded grandeur of Villa Bagatti Valsecchi, and the nature-infused architecture of the Ex Pasini Glasshouses. One of the most raw and inspiring discoveries, though, was in an abandoned industrial site: Snia. Nature was reclaiming the architecture while a collective of artists and designers brought honest, boundary-pushing work to life. There were no big brands, no flash, just experimentation, emotion, and real storytelling. Many designers were present and stood alongside their work, eager to engage. It was a reminder of what makes Milan so special.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to view some of the most anticipated exhibitions, like Google’s Making the Invisible Visible by light, water, and sound artist Lachlan Turczan, along with several others across Brera that were absolutely jam-packed. People were arriving two hours before the 10am opening just to secure a spot, with hundreds queueing around entire city blocks. Three-hour queues to see a single installation have become the phenomenon of today’s experience, mostly for an Instagram post.

Many fashion brands were present, using “design collabs” to hand out gadgets and boost visibility, with data-hungry preregistrations that don’t even guarantee entry.

The original spirit of Milan Design Week, discovery, dialogue, connection, felt a bit lost in the noise in the last years.

As professionals, those of us who build this industry yearround, we’re often left standing in line, missing the very thing we came for: inspiration.

Wandering through Brera, Tortona or Porta Venezia used to be full of serendipity. You could stumble across emerging talent,

intimate installations, or conversations that sparked new ideas. Now, more and more often, it feels like a bottleneck of branded content, oversaturated, overstimulating, and often inaccessible.

Meanwhile, Fashion Week remains tightly gated, invite-only, and fiercely protected. Why is one reserved for insiders while the other is a free-for-all disguised as inclusivity?

And perhaps… if Fashion Week opened up just a little, it could relieve the pressure that’s turning Design Week into a paradox: a celebration of creativity we can barely access.

I love Milan Design Week. I always will. It’s a vital moment on the calendar, a stage where global design voices converge.

But if we want it to stay relevant, we need to start protecting its purpose.

It’s time to rethink access, flow, and who truly gets to participate in the conversation.

Press gets green-lighted. Shouldn’t those who actually shape the built environment, interiors, creatives, lighting designers, product designers, have a pathway in too? www.instagram.com/madcreativestudio

“The line between art and design blurred more than ever. Some moments felt like pure spectacle, others like deeply personal storytelling.”

Drift Us

Audi x Studio Drift

Within the framework of Audi’s House of Progress, Studio Drift presented Drift Us, a site-specific, experiential installation that translated movement into a visual and dynamic experience. Set in the courtyard of Portrait Milano Hotel, the collaboration highlighted Studio Drift and Audi’s shared vision to inspire change and progress through movement. Inspired by wind passing through a grassy field, as visitors made their way through the installation, they activated the environment, as if they were the wind themselves – Drift Us invited the public to become an impactful force that influences the environment around them. It also offered a moment of calmness and harmony, with the reassuring, synchronised movements aligning with our breathing rhythms and heartbeats. www.studiodrift.com

Image: Ronald Smits

Making the Invisible Visible Google x Lachlan Turczan

Returning to Milan Design Week for 2025, Google once again collaborated with light and water artist Lachlan Turczan for Making the Invisible Visible, an immersive exploration of the ways in which art and design can be seen as acts of alchemy that bring ideas to life.

With Making the Invisible Visible, Google sought to show how abstract ideas can be translated into tangible forms to be felt and experienced, through Turczan’s artwork, and the design of Google’s latest hardware products.

On entering the exhibition, visitors saw Turczan’s latest artwork, Lucida (I-IV), a series of spaces sculpted entirely out of light. These luminous vessels ripple through mist, forming shifting environments that blur the boundaries between the tangible and intangible. Light – typically a fleeting, ephemeral presence – takes on a material permanence, transforming into something that can be touched, inhabited, and felt, bending, flowing, and responding with fluid dynamism to the interaction of the viewer.

Making the Invisible Visible marks the second time that Turczan and Google have collaborated for Milan Design Week, with the two having previously worked together for Shaped By Water in 2023 after Ivy Ross, Google’s Chief Design Officer of Consumer Devices, became inspired by Turczan’s artwork.

Speaking exclusively to arc magazine, the artist recalled his early interactions with Google, and how this blossomed into the collaborative relationship they now have.

“Ivy Ross first saw my work in 2021, when I was making sculptures with water and mirrors. The Google team was heavily drawing inspiration from my work, and at a certain point, they had so many images of my work on their inspiration boards, that Ivy said ‘I have to meet this person’. She reached out to me and commissioned me for the collaboration in 2023. They found something that they liked in my work, and then created a story around it. In 2023 it was perfect, as they had designed a watch that was inspired by the form of a water drop, so formally there were strong similarities with my work.

“Fast forward to 2025, I’ve been doing a lot of work out in the landscape, creating light sculptures in the open air, where I found bodies of water, and I would arrest light through either the silt in the water, or steam coming out of hot springs. I shared some of this work with Ivy, and she asked how I could bring this inside and share it in a gallery or museum context.

“I had some sketches that I thought were possible, but it required a significant amount of time to engineer it. We made a couple of small maquettes and prototypes, and Ivy gave us the go ahead – she is the kind of person who really knows what the world is wanting, so it’s incredible to have her as a sounding board for creating this work.”

Through his landscape work, Turczan explains that each piece was set up in a way that would appear from a specific vantage point, where the focal length of the human eye would create an illusion where the conical aspect of the light would become parallel.

“As things come closer to you, in your vision they flare out, so it required a very specific stance to soften your vision. Therefore, this thing that you know to be immaterial, that you know to be made of light and coming at you in a space can take on the feeling of a monumental thing that goes infinitely into the sky and appears to be architectural, because of it being parallel.

“Traditionally, light is either diverging or converging; it is either illuminating something, or creating an image. We rarely ever have the opportunity to experience parallel or laminar light. In the same way that when you turn on a faucet and the water coming out can appear completely glassy, with the molecules moving in the same direction, we had that idea of coaxing light into a regular and consistent pattern.”

Complementing this visual effect, another integral facet of Lucida (I-IV) was its interactivity, and the way that, by passing through these laminal curtains of light, the viewer could shape and impact the “flow” of the beams.

Images: Courtesy of Google

Turczan continues: “Once we had the opportunity to experience parallel light, the next step was how do we interface with and move through it? Ivy wanted the piece to be responsive, to be something that we could engage with and physically interact with.

“The ability to feel like you’re touching the light, reaching out to this substance that you know, logically, is immaterial, but that moves and makes sound based off of your motion, is responding to you, these are triggers and cues that trick the brain into thinking that you’re dealing with physical mass.

“I’m really inspired by the Light and Space movement that came out of Southern California in the 1960s – artists like Helen Pashgian, Robert Irwin, and James Turrell. These artists had a focus on perception and on immateriality, how light inhabits a space, how light can shape space and define experience. However, with their work, it was either passive or you enter a realm that the artist has created, without being an active participant, other than through your perception.

“I have quite a complicated relationship with interactive art, which has often felt to me like you press a button, and then this thing does

something, which isn’t natural. If I can touch it, that is the highest ideal of interaction – the idea that you can create an object or a substance. That became my ethos for this: to imbue light with physical characteristics, so that it’s almost less of an interactive art piece and more of a meta material, if you will, this idea of pushing the qualities of substance through the way that you engineer it, becoming a huge dance and balance of optics and software and so many technical things, but at the end of the day, you have this physical object.”

To bring this piece of art to life, Turczan purchased eight tonnes of optical grade acrylic – the kind used in aquariums, which were then shaped by a military-grade fabricator into six ocular lenses, each measuring six feet in diameter.

“If you imagine a triangular prism, we took that and wrapped it around – the technical term for this would be an annular optic.”

Through these annular optics, laser projections create the kind of caustic effect that one sees when light passes through water, but extruded in space – a juxtapositional marriage of nature and technology.

The installation formed the first part of a wider exhibition from Google; from Lucida (I-IV), the experience shifted from artistic expression to the practice of design, as guests moved into new spaces that highlighted the story behind a particular Google hardware device.

Each experience looked to illuminate how an abstract idea can be translated into a tangible form – from its Nest thermostat, to its new earbuds, which used laser scans of ears to create its most accurately modelled earphones to date. Although treated as a separate commission, Turczan believes that there are links in approach that connect the artwork to the wider exhibition.

“The way the narrative is told is that there are these technologies of human reciprocity that are part and parcel of the work that Google does –the use of software and lasers, as examples. And then the work that I do uses similar technologies in an artistic way. Although we’re not using any Google technology in the work that I do, there’s a parallel in our principles. The wider piece therefore acts as a celebration of the ways in which art and design are both articulations of similar concepts.”

The installation was one of the highlights of Milan Design Week, with enormous queues for the majority of the week, and looking back at the event, Turczan says that he is humbled by the feedback that he has received, and he is excited about where to take it in the future.

“We had an incredible response. It has been remarkable to see how much the work resonates with people,” he says. “Where I want to take this work is to have this be architecturally integrated, to create opportunities where this is situated within the framework of a space, and can affect people of the long haul in a deep and meaningful way.

“We’re also in talks with museums, light art festivals, and other shows to take it on the road. We’re speaking to many different institutions to have the experience of these sculptures and get them out there. That’s the incredible thing about Milan Design Week, it’s a huge sounding to the world – everyone pays attention to it, so it has been a dream come true to have this premier there alongside Google.” www.lachlanturczan.com

Lachlan Turczan and Ivy Ross

Library of Light Es Devlin

One of the standout installations during Milan Design week was Library of Light, a monumental, kinetic piece created by renowned artist and designer, Es Devlin.

Housed within one of Milan’s most venerable landmarks – the Pinacoteca di Brera – the installation reflects a phrase by Umberto Eco, which came to Devlin’s mind as she climbed the tall shelves of the Braidense National Library: “Books are the compass of the mind, they point to countless worlds yet to be explored”.

Devlin’s luminous, rotating sculpture was located in the centre of the 17th century Cortile d’Onore, which connects the Pinacoteca di Brera, the Braidense National Library, and the Academy of Fine Arts. It took the form of an 18m wide, revolving cylindrical structure formed of illuminated bookshelves containing more than 3,000 volumes.

During the day, while the structure turns, the angled mirrored plane at the top of Devlin’s

sculpture reflected the sun’s light into the columns, the statues of the portico, and parts of the building never previously penetrated by the rays of the sun. At night, the illuminated structure created shadow plays on the walls of the courtyard.

Speaking ahead of the installation’s opening, Devlin said: “I have always experienced libraries as silently, intensely vibrant places, where minds and imaginations soar, while clutched like kites by their seated bodies. This kinetic sculpture reflects the synaptic connections being forged, the resonances and associations at play within the minds of a temporary community of readers.

As Jorge Luis Borges said, ‘I am not sure that I exist, actually. I am all the writers that I have read, all the people that I have met, all that I have loved; all the cities I have visited’.

“I found amidst the Cortile’s statues of celebrated seekers of knowledge and enlightenment only one female scholar: Maria Gaetana Agnesi. She

became renowned across Europe for her study of natural resonant frequencies, including the behaviour of light, drawing a curve that became known as ‘la versiera di Agnesi’ (famously mistranslated as the “Witch of Agnesi”). Later in life, she wrote a guide to fusing spirituality with intellect through sustained attention and focus. I now find so much to learn from her life practice, her navigation of her times with grace and courage, and yet, until I encountered her statue in the Cortile last year, I had no knowledge of her existence. Library of Light seeks to bring her presence from the periphery to the centre of the Corile.”

Devlin’s sense of the vitality of libraries was expressed through a series of collective readings, including The Order of Time, by theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli, read in the recorded voice of British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Devlin’s own voice also contributed phrases from the writings of Agnesi.

Their voices were underscored by a composition by British duo Polyphonia, with solo violin drawn from Beethoven’s 1806 Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61

During the two weeks that the installation was open, Library of Light was transformed into a stage for thought and dialogue, hosting a series of meetings that interwove art, literature, craftsmanship, and reflections on our time. Through the voices of artists, writers, curators, and innovators, the library became a place in which ideas took shape, became cross-pollinated, and multiplied, offering visitors a chance to immerse themselves in a constantly evolving cultural experience. www.esdevlin.com

Image: Monica Spezia, courtesy of Salone del Mobile

Euroluce 2025 Product Highlights

MIDI Series LED Luks

The MIDI series is introducing three new minimalistic and compact additions inspired by LED Luks’ best sellers. This family of refined pendant profiles is designed for VDU workstations, meeting EN 12464-1 standards with low glare (UGR<16). They come equipped with lens optics, offering a 60° beam angle for precise and efficient lighting perfect for offices. www.ledluks.com

Oliver

L&L Luce&Light

A new range of high-efficiency, LED outdoor projectors, Oliver was created to enhance large façades and high-impact outdoor areas with clean, well-defined light beams. Available in three sizes (Ø180, Ø230, Ø300), with wattages from 34W to 110W and colour temperatures of 2200K, 2700K, 3000K and 4000K, plus RGBW versions, Oliver is designed to provide uncompromising light quality. The wide variety of white-light optics, including a very narrow 5° version, enables you to select the best light output for every application while significantly reducing light spill into the night sky. www.lucelight.it

Raygun Platek

Raygun is surprising for its simplicity and performance. Despite its compact size, it offers extraordinary strength and precision. It becomes an amazing product for lighting design through its wide range of configurations, allowing them to find the best solution to fulfil their vision, thanks to ultra-desirable technical details. Highly versatile, with a broad range of options: three sizes, a wide and configurable range of light beam widths and powers, plus various materials and finishes, it is designed to enable finely tuned light management. www.platek.eu

Hybrid

Reggiani

Hybrid stands out for its ability to deliver a single solution for accent, general, and wallwashing lighting. It offers two-axis adjustability (365°-36°), IP54 protection, efficiency up to 130 lm/W, and a luminous output of up to 2000 lm, all within a miniaturised design (Ø40 mm, Ø65 mm, Ø80 mm) that allows for discreet integration into architectural spaces. Thanks to the patented internal dark shield, the fixture remains completely hidden from view, enhancing the purity of the design. www.reggiani.net

Vader Targetti

Developed in collaboration with Fisher Marantz Stone, Vader is a new outdoor floodlight that offers the flexibility of multiple luminaires in a single product. Easy to use and versatile, Vader offers the ability to choose, even after installation on site, light distribution, colour temperature, and light management system (0-10V, DALI, DMX). The Vader Zoom optical system was developed for manual adjustment of the light beam with emissions from 20° to 41°. www.targetti.com

LEM

Imoon

LEM is an innovative, modular, and customisable lighting system, designed by Imoon for architects and lighting designers. It combines innovation and suggestion, with a minimalist design suitable for retail, hospitality, residential, and museum applications. Created by architects Alessandro Pedretti and Andrea Benedetto, LEM is available in different versions and sizes, with interchangeable Imoon specialised LEDs and customisable finishes, able to transform it into a luminous furnishing element when needed. www.imoon.it

Mini Line Grazer Plus MCI Light

Engineered to highlight vertical volumes with precision and uniformity, Mini Line Grazer Plus redefines how light interacts with architecture. Compact, powerful, and versatile, this linear luminaire evenly illuminates surfaces up to 12m high enhancing geometry while amplifying architectural presence. Available in both monochromatic and RGBW versions with DMX512 control, it enables smooth transitions from neutral and warm tones to more dynamic chromatic accents. An adaptable solution for high-performance architectural lighting with a discreet presence and striking visual impact. www.mcilight.com

Modoc

Linea Light Group

Modoc, a complete collection of professional downlights, is designed to deliver outstanding performance, and ensure maximum visual comfort, even at different heights. The compact design, using the highest quality materials, allows installation in situations where space is limited, thanks to the innovative heat sink. With seven different diameters, five available optics, and several scalable wattages to ensure optimal light distribution, Modoc_R adapts perfectly to your lighting needs. www.linealight.com

Ariel Contour DGA

Ariel Contour is DGA’s zoom projector, designed to enhance artworks, exhibits, and architectural details with sharp, well-defined illumination. Its optical zoom system allows precise beam adjustment, adapting seamlessly to exhibition needs with intuitive adjustment, eliminating the need for additional accessories. A versatile and professional solution for museums, galleries, and exhibition spaces. www.dga.it

Dive Zero55

Dive by Zero55 is a fully recessed linear lighting fixture designed for seamless integration into ceilings or walls. When switched off, its clean, customisable finish allows it to disappear completely within the architectural surface. Once activated, an intelligent motorised rotation reveals a refined line of light featuring advanced dark light optics that conceal the light source from view. With its blend of technical performance and minimalist elegance, Dive redefines discreet architectural lighting. www.zerocinquantacinque.com

Neptune XSU CV Neko Lighting

Small but powerful, this mini outdoor projector light packs a punch with its 34mm diameter, robust weatherproof design, and a minimum available beam angle of 12°. As part of the versatile Neptune series, it offers flexible options, including models with base and size variants for diverse installation needs, combining compact elegance with powerful, reliable illumination. www.nekolighting.com

Velaris Frondes Cabinet SICIS

Velaris is a customisable system of modular wardrobes designed for high-end interiors. The standout feature: backlit Vetrite doors ‒ glass surfaces enhanced with decorative textures and subtle translucence. A blend of aesthetic depth and functional lighting, Velaris transforms storage into a luminous design statement. Perfect for residential, hospitality, and contract projects, it offers architects and designers a refined way to integrate ambient light into furniture architecture. www.sicis.com

This year’s Milan Design Week saw the return of the biennial Euroluce International Lighting Exhibition, held at Fiera Milano. Here, we look back at some of our favourite finds from the show floor.

Wine Architecture

In March of this year, arc magazine collaborated with emergency lighting specialist Daisalux for an evening highlighting the “architecture of wine”. Here, we recap that event, before Daisalux highlights two recent projects in this field.

Wine is intangible – a taste and aroma that evokes something different in everyone. Capturing, quantifying, and expressing that sensation is exceptionally difficult for any winery.

Haute couture and perfumery face the same challenge: a product is defined by the emotion it sparks – something hard to measure.

In winemaking, architecture has become a catalyst that turns the intangible into the tangible, creating a place to see, touch, and explore.

Delving deeper into this topic, earlier this year, arc magazine collaborated with Daisalux – specialist in emergency lighting – for an evening celebrating “Wine Architecture”, in which a selection of lighting designers and architects were invited to the Spanish brand’s Clerkenwell showroom for an exclusive wine tasting, led by Bodegas Beronia. Before the tasting itself, arc Editor Matt Waring led an informal, yet informative conversation with Nicholas Belfield, Partner at dpa lighting consultants, and Adam Knight, Director at Hugh Broughton Architects. Citing some specific project examples from their respective studios, the pair gave the audience a taste of what goes into designing for high end wineries – from the body of architectural design to the delicate notes of the lighting design – and how this all comes together to create a rich and balanced flavour profile for guests to experience and enjoy.

As a lighting supplier, Daisalux has also had the opportunity to work on two luxurious wine destinations in Spain’s Rioja region – Beronia and Faustino. Both show how leading wineries have captured their essence in distinctive buildings that converse naturally with the landscape. The guiding principle of both destinations being that of pursuing excellence through integration with, and respect for, their surroundings. Daisalux helped to achieve this aim by providing emergency lighting solutions that integrate seamlessly into every architectural space.

Beronia Rioja Winery

Designed by IDOM, Beronia’s story is inseparable from the land. From its beginnings, the winery has nurtured a deep bond with its vineyards, crafting wines that capture their distinctive character. The new building had to translate that bond into architecture, amplifying the landscape, rather

than imposing on it. The design delivers on that premise; the building is a natural extension of the hillside, using an eight metre drop to nestle into the slope and reduce its visual impact.

Natural light leads visitors through IDOM’s design. In the barrel room, a hushed glow creates an almost sacred atmosphere; in the tasting rooms, the light expands, filtered through premium materials that echo the wine’s essence.

Echoing the desire for seamless integration, Daisalux’s range of solutions blend naturally with their surroundings. In the Barrel Room and production area, Atria provides discreet, reliable visibility, while preserving visual harmony when integrated with the technical lighting in the production hall. Elsewhere, the slim Clavo beacon tucks into the spiral stair, throwing subtle light patterns that elevate the space; while in the Bottle Room, the Lens luminaire anchors a circle of lights, adding both beauty and function.

Legacy of Bodegas Faustino Winery

Faustino is a traditional, family-run establishment, handed down for generations with one purpose: connecting people with wine, turning every bottle into a story of time and terroir. “El Legado de Bodegas Faustino” reflects that purpose in a welcoming space designed for sharing.

Designed by Norman Foster, and brought to life by Foster + Partners, the pavilion greets visitors with a feeling of openness and sensory richness.

A timber frame without intermediate supports, paired with a tensioned-cable roof, shapes a pavilion of unterrupted space, while a large central skylight softly modulates the natural light.

The atmosphere shifts over the course of the day, shaping each visitor’s experience.

Such clarity and openness called for a discreet emergency lighting solution. Here, Izar emergency luminaires at the entrances and main routes match the technical lighting, ensuring safety without breaking the visual rhythm, while compact Spica units concealed in the ceiling above the stairs opposite the lift unite form and function. Daisalux’s Lens fixtures disappear into the black structural joints throughout, preserving the design purity, and aligning with the skylight’s technical lighting. www.daisalux.com

Top: Beronia Rioja Winery, Ollauri, Spain, designed by IDOM.

Bottom: Legacy of Bodegas Faustino Winery, Araba, Spain, designed by Foster + Partners. Photography: Marta Vidal

A Mentor’s Perspective

Reflecting on their experiences so far, a selection of mentors from the 2024 Silhouette Awards programme shair their perspectives on the mentor/mentee journey.

Mentorship is very often framed as a one-way street: knowledge passed down, experience shared, and doors opened. But in reality, the truth is far more dynamic.

The Silhouette Awards not only recognise and celebrate rising talent but also acknowledge the leaders who choose to guide them. These lighting industry professionals understand that giving back can also put them firmly on the path to greater personal and professional growth.

Mentors often begin the journey in the Silhouette Awards, hoping to inspire, uplift, and empower others. Yet often, they find themselves deeply immersed and motivated by the process.

The Silhouette Awards fourth-year programme is now well underway, with activities and relationships building and strengthening between the mentors and mentees. Some of the mentors from the 2025 programme have shared what mentorship means to them.

Ratna Kumari says: “Since I started this journey as a mentor, it became clear to me that it’s not just about guiding someone. Every conversation challenges me to reflect on how I lead, listen, and grow. Does my mentee learn from my experience? Yes, but I gain a fresh perspective, renewed purpose, and a constant reminder of why I started in the first place. To call it “giving back” feels like an understatement; the value flows both ways, and the impact is real. I’m proud to say that this journey doesn’t just teach, it gives wisdom along the way.” Kumari’s sentiment of mutual value and deep learning is being experienced across each of this year’s mentoring partnerships.

Armaghan Ahmadi adds: “Mentoring in this programme has been a two-way learning experience. Working with Anthony Girgis on his professional goals and project has opened up meaningful conversations, especially around how culture shapes lighting in urban spaces. The younger generation’s passion for using light to solve real problems truly gives me hope for the future.”

For many, the mentorship programme has been a

catalyst for self-reflection and fresh thinking. Fabiana Nery Pardhanani shared what it is she values from the experience so far: “It has been a good learning curve for both of us. We are learning a lot from each other, finding many things in common and topics to discuss. Tiago Winer is a senior designer with a lot of experience. Therefore, our approach is more about future ideas and how to develop a few areas that are not working well. We are both learning about deeper conversations on lighting topics and getting one another’s opinions on developments. It has been a good journey, and we are enjoying it very much.”

Sometimes, the mentor’s journey is not just about support, it’s about being transformed by their mentee’s ambition.

Philip Hammond explains: “I was, of course, very excited to start the mentorship with Lally Wildelska. I have encouraged her to step out of that comfort zone and go forward into the unknown. This has been an amazing process for me as an international educator, illumination engineer and with 54 years of experience. I have been challenged to make it my business to ensure that Lally succeeds. It will not only be her success, but it will uplift my spirits to the highest if she succeeds. It means that I have to plan each session for her next step to success.”

While mentorship in the lighting industry builds technical and physical growth, it often also brings something more profound - a human connection. Eugenia Cheng expresses this through her partnership with Petra Koza. She says: “This mentorship is a two-way journey for Petra and me. While I give, I also receive – and vice versa. Although we are of similar age, our personal and professional paths are alike yet quite different.

“Our journey is about building a trustworthy friendship, dedicating time to help each other hone new skills, and developing empathy as we share our challenges. We strive for honesty and hold each other accountable for our commitments.

“I aim to provide options and fresh perspectives,

and no matter which path she chooses, I’m here to support her emotionally and mentally. This relationship fosters self-reflection and personal growth for her, while I also evaluate my own experiences and approaches. Every meeting has been uplifting, and I know I will treasure this experience. The more we share, the more I want to help her succeed in whatever endeavours she pursues!”

Magdalena Gomez adds a valuable reminder that mentorship isn’t only about offering answers, it’s about rediscovering the questions.

“I have to say that being a mentor for Santiago Navarro has brought great joy. He’s not just a lovely person, but a very talented young designer. We are working together to help him develop his independent practice.

“While some concepts are very new to him, for me, they have been so ingrained that it has taken a minute or two to think about the processes to reach those concepts. For instance, presenting to clients, how we bring our ideas to them, and tell them a story, to transport them to our vision. Also, such things as explaining design stages and the works that belong to each stage. And how they can engage Santi in their projects. It is great to have a refresher on the work we do and how we do it. It has also been great to ask questions about why we do the things we do a certain way and look into the possibility of developing different strategies. Santi has made me proud already as I get to see how he’s implementing my advice and transforming it into tangible results immediately.”

Daniel Blaker reflects on the self-awareness that mentoring sparks: “It was a delight to meet Maya, as she has a clear and strong passion for the creative process. One of the things I am most enjoying about the mentor/ mentee process is that within the process of sharing, it necessitates the opportunity to reflect and take stock of where you are on your own journey. It is very easy within the grind to lose track of your own core, so this process is refreshing, as to offer yourself as a resource, you need to relearn yourself. I would recommend this experience to anyone.

“This relationship fosters self-reflection and personal growth for her, while I also evaluate my own experiences and approaches. Every meeting has been uplifting, and I know I will treasure this experience.”

Eugenia Cheng, on her mentorship journey with Petra Koza

As a mentee, Maya’s enthusiasm for growth is abound, and so I hope to help fuel this natural talent and enthusiasm where possible.”

More often than people realise, mentorship means remembering who you were at the beginning of your own career so that you can help guide someone new into the industry.

Maneck Tandon shares: “To mentor is not just to guide – it is to witness, to reflect, and to walk alongside someone as they shape their path. With Rezvan Shahrabi Farahani, who is navigating the early uncertainties of finding her place in the professional world, I’ve found myself remembering my own first steps. Helping her articulate her vision through her portfolio and CV, preparing her for interviews – it’s not only about advice, but about rekindling the courage it takes to begin again.

Vaida Atkočaitytė-Dališanskienė, recipient of the LIT Lighting Design Award, has joined the Silhouette Awards 2025 mentorship programme through a special ongoing collaboration between the two initiatives.

Tandon adds: “Vaida, meanwhile, comes from a different discipline and brings with her a thoughtful, intuitive approach. She often just needs affirmation – that her instincts are valid, and that uncertainty is not a flaw but a sign of care. Our conversations remind me how common it is, even among the most talented designers, to swing between confidence and doubt.

“Mentorship, I’m learning, is not a transfer of knowledge – it’s a loop of trust and growth. Every exchange leaves me a little more grounded, a little more inspired, and a little more aware of why I chose this path in the first place. The impact is mutual, and the gift is shared.”

Sacha Abizadeh emphasises how mentorship reenergises and challenges even the most experienced professionals.

“Mentoring Melissa Toasa has been so exciting as we kick off our journey together. Right from the start, we created a programme with clear goals, but what’s been even better is how those goals have evolved along the way, shaped by the conversations we’re having and the opportunities that come up.

“Melissa’s full of energy, asks all the right and sometimes tough questions, and really challenges how we think about lighting, not just creatively but also technically, making me revisit the basics with fresh eyes and explain complex ideas in a real, practical way.

“We’ve started exploring all sorts of interesting topics, from different routes into professional qualifications to how to build a strong network that actually opens doors. It’s a great reminder that mentoring is never a one-way street; it’s about growing together, learning from each other’s experiences, and having fun along the way. I’m finding that giving back through mentoring doesn’t just help others; it re-energises your own passion for the industry too.”

Finally, Myriam Patricia Lopez Yánez reminds us that giving back through mentorship is a powerful form of leadership in itself.

“Mentoring Luis Mora has reminded me of the power of fearlessness, of that beautiful confidence we often hold in our youth. He’s strategic, grounded, and deeply aware of the world around him, even choosing to centre our design exercise on women’s challenges, which moved me. Guiding him has reconnected me with a sense of purpose beyond personal accolades. It has brought me joy, humility, and inspiration. I’ve learned that sharing our experiences and not holding back hard-earned lessons can be a generous act of leadership. Watching someone build upon the insights you once learned the hard way is a true reward.”

The first-hand experiences from this year’s mentors show that mentorship is not a one-way transfer of knowledge, but a shared experience of trust, growth, and reflection.

The Silhouette Awards programme is not just about building careers; it’s about building a global community and uncovering the rewards that come when uplifting one another.

As the Silhouette Awards look ahead to Year 5, with celebrations planned to mark this exciting milestone, there’s an excitement to see what the future of the programme holds for the lighting community.

www.silhouetteawards.com

Spaghetti Chorus

Ottawa, Canada

Montreal-based art and design studio

Daily tous les jours reimagined human communication for a new, interactive artwork installed in Canada’s National Gallery in Ottawa.

Presented from December 2024 to March 2025, Spaghetti Chorus transformed voice messages into music and light, intermingling along a winding, luminous thread. Two microphones were connected by 140 continuous metres of intertwined, glowing LED tubes, suspended from the vaulted ceiling of the Scotiabank Great Hall. To activate the piece, visitors spoke into one of the microphones, and watched as their voices slowly transformed into music and light, travelling in shafts of colour, while

creating singular, melodic moments. Spaghetti Chorus was a new edition of Daily tous les jours’ Hello series, which emphasises the music and harmonics of human speech through poetic messaging systems. Created for a world so often confined to the size of a screen, this series creates musical bridges between people in real life, offering an invitation to connect in person, beyond words.

“There is so much technology trying to connect us these days, yet we have never felt so lonely. Someone on the other side of the street might as well be on the other side of the world,” says Mouna Andraos, Daily tous les jours Co-Founder. “We move around stuck in our heads, on our phones, socialising

with images of people. Can technology help create moments for strangers to connect in the flesh? Moments strange enough for strangers to feel a sense of connection to each other?”

“There is something innate, even physical, about music that transcends age, culture, and language,” adds Melissa Mongiat, Daily tous les jours Co-Founder. “When music becomes a collective experience – whether you’re there as a spectator or part of the performance – a kind of magic happens. Individuals become present with each other, grounded for a moment in time and place alongside a group of strangers.”

www.dailytouslesjours.com

Image: Maryn Devine

More than one way to skin a CAT

In this issue, Irene Mazzei, PhD, and Tim Bowes team up to speak to a range of professionals across the supply chain to assess the challenges faced in realising a Circular Economy. GREENLIGHT

IRENE MAZZEI, PHD. & TIM BOWES

During the last five years the lighting industry has seen a rapid increase of awareness around sustainability and circularity topics: what once was only a desirable feature is quickly turning into a must-have in product design.

Numerous lighting manufacturers have embraced the concept of the circular economy (CE) and evolved their design and business operations to make their products more circular – but something is missing. Circular approaches in projects and installations are still met with uncertainty and a slower uptake, in favour of more conventional ones. Business models need to be made more efficient and competitive, so that re-using, repairing, remanufacturing and repurposing a luminaire becomes more attractive than procuring a brand new one.

How do we develop not just the push, but also the pull? How do we get other stakeholders in the value chain – up and down stream – to understand and realise the possibilities and move away from the current mindset and approach?

What is the circular economy?

Today our industrial economy is ‘linear’ by design. It is set-up to encourage us to consume and buy new. We extract material from the ground, we process it, we consume it, and we dispose it – and then start all over again. However, there is an increasing acceptance that this approach cannot continue. If we carry on as we are, it is projected we will be extracting between 170-184Gt/year by 2050, roughly double what was extracted in 2016 [1].

The construction industry has a significant focus on carbon reduction; however, with 55% of today’s emissions being addressed by renewable energy and energy efficiency, the Ellen Macarthur Foundation highlights that the CE will play a key role in reducing the remaining 45% of emissions [2].

It is fundamental that we collectively accept that transformative change is needed if we are to continue to have an economy that can support future generations. However, with the built environment being one that “hinders transformative change” [3], this may be easier said than done.

The CE is “an economic system that is restorative and regenerative by design” [4]. Representing an alternative approach, it asks us to look more holistically to balance the needs of the environment, business and people. It is based on three key principles [5]: eliminate waste and pollution; circulate products and materials; and regenerate nature.

It is the second principle that this article hopes to explore. How do we look to release the value of the work we are doing with product design not just today but also in the future?

How does the Circular Economy add value?

In lighting we are working with materials that are defined as within the CE as ‘technical nutrients’. Using the Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s butterfly diagram (Figure 1) we can show how different circular approaches can add economic value. The

smaller the loop, the greater the social, economic and environmental value is there to be retained. But how do each of these stages allow us to realise this value? Figure 2 provides a brief overview of each of these loops.

The objective of this article is to gather the opinions of different professionals on the common challenges and opportunities associated with realising some of the wider systemic and business changes needed to truly realise a CE not just today, but also in the future. We interviewed manufacturers, designers, industry associations and contractors, the latter providing insights on the downstream value chain’s own perspective on this topic. The next section contains contributions from Nigel Harvey (Recolight – Luminaire recycling provider), Paul Beale (18 Degrees – lighting designer), Benz Roos (Speirs Major Light Architecture – lighting designer), Ali Kay (Stoane Lighting – manufacturer) and James Ivin (Overbury – fit-out specialist).

Stakeholders’ Inputs

The first question we posed our interviewees was about the extent to which circular thinking features in their projects, and whether circular approaches are being developed in their practice. We also asked what they think can be done to implement more circularity in projects:

Manufacturer: “In the last five years we have seen several projects where facilities managers and building owners have taken proactive steps to convert halogen products to LED technology. While feature chandeliers or pendants are the most likely products to be viable for remanufacturing, we do see more adoption of remanufacturing of small or more standard lighting equipment. In those cases, this needs an engaged stakeholder and project team who are looking for these opportunities and

we can work with them to present the business and sustainability case for a remanufacturing approach rather than replacement; this is done through LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), embodied carbon calculation, energy saving calculations.”

Lighting Designer: “Circularity is becoming an increasingly integral part of our conversations with clients, though its implementation remains highly project-specific. While new-build projects or Cat A refurbishments typically default to installing brand new luminaires, we are actively exploring opportunities to re-use and repurpose existing equipment, particularly where the client has a strong ESG agenda or where there is alignment with broader sustainability goals. That said, the re-use of luminaires remains the exception rather than the rule. This is not for lack of interest, but because most commercial developments –especially in the speculative office market –prioritise design uniformity, perceived newness, and programme certainty. Nonetheless, we continue to advocate for re-use wherever feasible, for example by salvaging luminaires from one floor of a building and redeploying them elsewhere on the same estate, or by specifying modular lighting systems that allow for future disassembly and redeployment. We are also increasingly collaborating with manufacturers and remanufacturing partners who can support quality assurance, compliance, and performance testing to make re-use viable in real-world applications.”

Lighting Designer: “We are trying now to start with making inventories of existing equipment on projects to see how we can take things forward. Repairability is not so much on the mind of clients. If you are lucky enough to speak with people in charge of maintenance, that it is very much part of the discussion. For example, this morning we presented a scheme to a museum and the

Figure 1: Butterfly diagram by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation[6]; right hand side referring to technical nutrients.

Sharing: It’s hard to imagine lighting as a shared asset, however, having lighting solutions that can adapt and change to suit applications within a space is important to maximise the project’s life.

Redistributing: It happens that “new” products end up not being used sometimes (e.g. end of line stock) and fnding customers for these products can ensure that their value is retained, with potential social value added.

maintenance person was in the meeting, so circular products do get the preference. We have recently finished a first circular project in which we have actively refurbished 70% of the equipment.”

Luminaire Recycling provider: “Designing and manufacturing new products to CE principles largely results in potential or future circularity. The circularity is only fully realised if/when the product is reworked or upgraded, which should be many years after supply. But the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to decarbonise now means we need circularity today. An even better outcome is, where possible, to reuse and upgrade existing fittings, rather than replacing the entire fitting. Clearly upgrading with a high efficiency light source is essential to making this strategy deliver carbon savings.”

Contractor: “Contractors are inherently risk averse, so there is a conundrum of suggesting changes, which may not always be well received or could add time onto programmes and create more redesign work for the whole project team. We are putting processes in place from the tender stage to identify elements for reuse as early as possible and drive connections amongst projects internally and externally, to ensure luminaires are used for their intended purposes.”

We also tried to explore the reasons why a design originally made following CE principle may change, and which aspects can hinder its development:

Manufacturer: “In our experience, it’s the projects where the stakeholders, especially the lighting designers/architects and building

Reusing: A tting that is not needed anymore in an installation can be reused elsewhere (think of CAT A or even CAT B), especially if it still has a signi cant amount of life left. This speci cally applies to electronic components, which are extremely challenging to recycle and carry high environmental impacts.

Maintaining: Being able to maintain easily and quickly is key. With some exceptions, the majority of applications, such as schools an healthcare facilities, can keep their lighting solutions for many years, therefore they must be able to look after them quickly and cost-e ectively.

Refurbishing: It is also important to retain and restore the value of an asset, for example enhancing speci cation or visual appearance

Recycling: When other approaches have been exhausted, we can always still recover materials and reprocess them into new (secondary) materials.

owners, are looking to embed lower impact and circular principles from the outset of the project that are most likely to stay the course. it takes a committed team of stakeholders who back the approach, as different things need to be considered – like safe removal of equipment, transportation, and storage of equipment while other renovations happen. In some cases that barrier can be related to perception around remanufacturing, perhaps that it represents a less attractive/safe/reliable solution. These perceptions are often unjustified, with remanufacturers offering new warranties and by necessity with no difference in terms of safety, reliability, or compliance. It’s also true that, sometimes, the financial argument doesn’t stack up due to low numbers, in these cases the administrative costs associated with design, testing, compliance and the remanufacture taking legal responsibility for that product cannot be justified by the client.”

Lighting Designer: “The gap between circular design intent and delivery remains wide. Even when circular strategies are explored during concept design, they often fall away during procurement or value engineering. Clients and contractors tend to favour products with known lead times, warranties, and minimal perceived risk. Consequently, circular lighting options – particularly those involving remanufacturing or second-life products – can be seen as adding complexity or introducing liability. One key barrier is programme alignment. The timelines required to extract, inspect, and recertify existing luminaires often don’t fit neatly into fast-track construction programmes. Furthermore, remanufactured

Remanufacturing: Products can be re-engineered at the end of their life, achieving new or improved quality. This approach ensures that value is added comparably to a new product, but without the need to extract and process more material.

products rarely appear on approved supplier lists or design guides, limiting their uptake by main contractors and M&E consultants. We’ve also encountered resistance due to ambiguity around compliance, especially with emergency lighting and testing requirements. That said, the conversation is shifting. More clients are asking the right questions, and manufacturers are beginning to offer luminaires designed for multiple life cycles. But scaling this up will require structural change, not just design enthusiasm.”

Lighting Designer: “Costs and architectural design are the biggest barriers. In the end, most architects still prefer aesthetics over environmental impact. This is especially true for encapsulated products. In a recent project [7] we managed to install LED channels which can be repaired. Throughout the process we had to justify it, because it would be so much easier to use flexible LED tape, which cannot be repaired.”

Luminaire Recycling provider: “Reuse is more “circular” than replacing old fittings with new. But all too often, reuse is not considered during a project. Reuse of the product that will be displaced by new product is frequently an afterthought. And by that time, it is almost always too late to ‘rehome’ or find another reuse option for that product. This just one of the reasons why it is better for designers to seek to reuse existing product rather than specifying new. It does require a different approach to creativity – a ‘creativity of constraint’. But we really do need that change if we are to embed circularity within our industry. We also need a change in the ‘standardisation’ and ‘perfection’ mindset when

Figure 2: Description of strategies associated with the technical loops of the butterfly diagram.

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References

1. “The Circularity Gap Report 2023 .”

Available: https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023

2. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “Completing the picture: How the circular economy tackles climate change,” 2021.

3. Arup, “The Circular Economy in the Built Environment,” 2016.

Available: https://www.arup.com/globalassets/ downloads/insights/cirular-economy-in-the-builtenvironment.pdf

4. Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation, “The Circular Economy in detail.”

Available: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation. org/the-circular-economy-in-detail-deep-dive

5. Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation, “What is a Circular Economy.” Available: https://www. ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circulareconomy-introduction/overview

6. Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation, “The technical cycle of the butterfly diagram.”

Available: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation. org/articles/the-technical-cycle-of-the-butterflydiagram

7. Speirs Major Light Architecture, “Canada Water Boardwalk and Southern Steps, London, UK.”

Available: https://smlightarchitecture.com/ projects/3001/canada-water-boardwalk-andsouthern-steps

This series is curated by Dave Hollingsbee of Stoane Lighting, dave@mikestoanelighting.com

considering projects. Do we really need exactly the same fitting on every floor of a ten-storey building? Does every fitting need to be completely free of surface defects and blemishes? That standardisation and perfection is the enemy of circularity.”

Contractor: Reuse targets may be implemented from the concept stage, but aspirations can also be dropped later and be included in the contractor’s tender package around Stage 4. Supply and demand are not aligned in the current market; what compromises are the designers willing to take based on the level of risk and impact, to avoid major disruptions within the project? Which brings the most common barrier: time. The reuse market remains much slower than the conventional one (buying new and with guarantee of stock).

Finally, we asked which inputs would be useful to have from other stakeholders in the industry to facilitate the adoption of not just circular products but of circular business models:

Manufacturer: “With some exceptions, I believe it’s fair to say that for the most part it’s not common that original equipment manufacturer, or lighting design professionals, are still involved in a project after completion. It is very likely that maintenance team responsible for the installation will be reactive, fixing or even replacing luminaires as and when they fail. Planned collaborative efforts between stakeholders could lead to more circular projects with appropriately timed and planned interventions that maximise luminaire lifetime and keep lighting designs true to the original brief.

While we already see the emergence of business models such as lighting as a service and guaranteed luminaire buyback schemes, I see potential for other manufacturer business models such as luminaire health checks at planned intervals. I also see the potential for through project lifetime professional lighting design consultancy services where lighting professionals can perhaps quantify lumen depreciation, and colour shift alongside surveys and advise on appropriate actions to keep schemes compliant and designs faithful to original intent.”

Lighting Designer: “To enable circular business models, we need aligned commitment across the value chain. From developers and landlords, we need clear client-side ambition – ideally written into the brief – to prioritise re-use and reduce embodied carbon. From manufacturers, we need transparency around product origins, disassembly protocols, and the availability of testing or recertification services. From contractors, we need willingness to collaborate and a shift away from risk-averse procurement practices that default to “new equals safe.” Perhaps most of all, we need data: environmental, performance and cost benchmarks that demonstrate the tangible

benefits of circular design in real terms. Only then can circularity be judged not as a well-meaning exception, but as a rational default.”

Lighting Designer: “The biggest hurdle is that operation / maintenance teams are mainly not part of the design teams. This attitude needs to change to make a difference.”

Luminaire Recycling provider: “As the electricity supply grid continues to decarbonise, so the role played by embodied carbon will become correspondingly larger. So, we need to see more commitments from purchasers, specifiers, and public procurement bodies to prioritise reuse over new, where this is technically feasible without compromise to energy efficiency.”

Contractor: Lighting designers should allow for less specialist areas to be open for reused luminaires. Manufacturers should have take-back and refurbishment services, map materials, and keep track of where their products end up. Local authorities should offer up safe storage space in case project timelines are crossing over. Projects should allow for more time so that more reuse options can be explored. The industry should collectively commit to minimise what goes in spaces (e.g. CAT A).

Conclusions

Without systemic and significant change, even the most “circular” product will follow the current linear model, and will end up being discarded when no longer needed within a project. If we are to realise the CE, we must start working out how we enable the various circular value loops.

This does not (only) come down to product design, and a single “one size fits all approach”; it does require business and approach change. Common themes that could support this have been highlighted by stakeholders in this article, including:

- Having an involved and engaged team in a project

- Incentivising client buy-in

- Planning maintenance efforts throughout the lifetime of the project

- Embedding flexibility in installations and allowing for “creative constraints”

- Supporting digitalisation efforts as a key opportunity for wider stakeholder involvement

But, most importantly, collaboration across industry is crucial – both within the lighting industry and with external stakeholders.

The dialogue is already open in the lighting industry and events such as the upcoming Circular Lighting Live 2025 conference or the 2050

Connected conference are a great opportunity to start exploring possibility across the value chain, to be able to overcome some of the barriers that separate the industry from a truly circular economy.

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What Experience the sunrise from the top of a mountain.

Where Mount Sinai, Egypt looking out over the Sinai Peninsula.

How

A dark, Bedouin guided, fairly challenging and steep 3,750 step hike, taking around two to three hours to complete pre-dawn. Alternatively there is a longer, more gradual path that can be taken by camel.

When

Mount Sinai can be visited year-round, but I would imagine the hike could be incredibly hot in the summer. The best time to visit would be during the Spring or Autumn, when temperatures are a bit kinder. My visit was at the start of December 2008, when I captured this photo. During my trip it was fairly chilly at the summit waiting for the sunrise, so at that time of year I would recommend taking a fleece or buying a Bedouin poncho as I did.

Why

After the hike, and wait, the first rays of light are a breathtaking spectacle painting the rugged landscape in warm golden hues and rendering the layers of rock and desert with ever changing natural light, colours and shadow definition. For me, the experience was an impressive reminder of the power and beauty of natural light in all its hues and intensities as nighttime turned to daytime. For others it may be more religiously moving, as the location is believed to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments.

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“Light is not so much something that reveals, as it is itself the revelation.”

James Turrell

Image: Graham Rollins

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