Light Art
Kruunuvuori
Helsinki, Finland

In November 2011 we were awarded 1st prize in an international competition to realise a permanent urban light art piece in Helsinki, Finland – an official project for Helsinki World Design Capital 2012.

The art piece will convert a disused oil silo into a wondrous light display and a civic space. Public will gain access to the vast interior of the 36m diameter 17 meter tall steel silo which will be dark red inside. Sunlight will fill thespace with dappled shadows creating a spectacular daytime space.

At night 1250 white LED´s flicker and sway on the surface of the silo controlled by a bespoke software mimicking swarms of birds in flight – a reference to silo´s seaside location. The prevailing winds, well known to those living in Helsinki, are used to trigger different light patterns in real time.

‘The enduring fascination of the complex movement of light and the amazing location by the sea will make this a captivating experience for the visitors and the residents of Helsinki’ Tapio Rosenius the Director of LDC say.

Light Art Project, Casa Encendida, Madrid, Spain for ROSCO Architectural

A series of moving white light projections were created responding to the different spaces of the Casa Encendida cultural centre in Madrid. This temporary light art intervention studied the relationship between natural light and artificial light in movement.

The light projections appeared connected to the windows and glazed facades creating visual link with daylight. The shaped light seemed at first to belong to a reflection from sunlight animated by the architecture.

Lighting Design Collective prepared an educative video of the event showing in detail how each projection was created using ROSCO Architectural projectors and textured glass discs. The video is freely available from here and from ROSCO.

Private Residence, Baku, Azerbaijan
for Pasha Construction with Nader Mobargha

Truly unique residence for an exclusive client in Baku, Azerbaijan. The lighting scheme was tailored to impress, surprise and entertain in accord with the interior design.

Inspiration was drawn from cinema; films such as Danny Boyle’s “Sunshine”, Peter Greenway’s “The Cook the Thief his Wife and her Lover” as well as from the famous Baku based novel Ali & Nino by Kurban Said. The latter served as inspiration for a text based light art projection piece within the party room.

Textured light projections were used throughout together with programmed colour hues. Video based light art piece sunk into the stone wall acts as the main light source for the restrooms whilst bespoke bubble chairs act as chandeliers for the party room.

Rich tones of light are used when entertaining guests, for the quiet nights warm white light scenes are available for all the spaces.

Baku, Azerbaijan for Pasha Construction with KKS Strategy,
Chapman Taylor Architects and Broadway Malyan Architects

Port Baku Towers will provide 70,000 square meters of Grade A office space and will feature retail and restaurants facilities.

The office space is set in two landmark towers. LED based video controlled dynamic lighting scheme has been developed for the 135 meter tall all glass skyscraper outlining its distinct form. Soft wash of warm light will express the stone clad low rise tower. The video content design by LDC will respond to highdays in Azeri calendar.

The façade lighting is linked to an 18 meter tall digital light art piece also by Lighting Design Collective located within the entrance lobby to the tower. Seemingly solid and opaque wall surface will appear alive animating the environment.

AFIMall City, Moscow, Russia interactive light sculpture proposal for Africa Israel

AFIMALL CITY is a shopping and entertainment centre, located in the core of Moscow City , the largest and most ambitious investment and development project in Europe in recent times.
Lighting Design Collective were invited to create a proposal for an interactive digital light art sculpture for the centre court space.

Our proposal was to create a stunning centre piece with three dimensional light shapes and movement derived from the biological forms using cellular automaton processing. A cellular automaton is a discrete model studied in mathematics, physics, theoretical biology and microstructure modelling.

The 32 meters long suspended light sculpture consists of clear strands each fitted with a number of mirrored cylinder shapes that acts as light pixels. This creates what is thought to be one of the biggest 3D light displays in the world at this moment.

Madrid, Spain for Prado Museum with Studio Rafael Moneo
Museum gallery lighting design scheme for the new and restored rooms within Prado Museum.

The architect Rafael Moneo designed a reconstruction of what was the original architectural space of San Baudelio Berlanga to best display frescoes for the eleventh century Mozarabic hermitage of San Baudelio.

This gallery included Church of La Vera Cruz restored chapel housing what is considered to be some of the most valuable Romanesque frescoes of Spain, dated to c.1125.

LDC worked closely with Studio Rafael Moneo and the Prado museum to develop a highly sensitive lighting design for the frescoes. After extensive testing a bespoke fibre optic system was devised to highlight the vaulted ceiling and the walls of the chapel. For the main gallery space track mounted framing projectors were used.

Cairo, Egypt for ACTP with ATDesign
Sitting on the west bank of the River Nile in unique adjoining towers, this classic Cairo hotel proudly stands tall as one of Cairo’s greatest landmarks. Located near Cairo Opera House, Egyptian Museum, and Pyramids of Giza. An extensive refurbishment project sees both the interior and the exterior of the building transformed .

The towers will become a night time landmark with a large scale artistic media façade lighting installation inspired by the Nile flood cycle.

The Flooding of the Nile has been an important natural cycle in Egypt since ancient times. The three stages of the flood cycle were Akhet, the time of the Nile flood, Peret, the sowing time, and Shemu, the time of harvest. Egyptians based their ancient calendar on it. In 1970, with the High Dam at Aswan, the annual flooding cycle in Egypt came to an end.*

The digital light art installation by LDC will bring the Nile flood cycle back as a visual feast for the residents and the visitors of Cairo.

Shopping Mall, Bulgaria
for GTC with Laguarda.Low Architects & Studio 17,5

Galleria Burgas is the first international‐ style shopping centre in the city of Burgas. It includes a number of fashion stores, a multiplex with 10 screens and a food court.

Lighting Design Collective has designed a lighting scheme that centres around the brand experience set for the development. Visitor is immersed into the space with light responding to the use of each environment individually.

Flexibility is designed into the lighting system so that the operator can brand, sell and transform the key public areas quickly and with low expenditure by using light projections, backlit surfaces and coloured light.

The project lighting meets the LEED Gold rating requirements for sustainability and reduction of light pollution.

London, UK for MBLD with Terry Farrell, Wilkinson Eyre, Stephen Marshall , Carmody Groarke Architects and EDCO Design

Regent’s Place is a 13‐acre, fully‐managed estate in the heart of London. With the completion of 10 and 20 Triton Street, the estate now comprises 1.5 million sq ft of office, retail and leisure space, as well as the latest in sustainable design.

Regent’s Place is host to a number of pieces of public art. ‘Regent’s Place Pavilion’ by Carmody Groarke marks the new western entrance into the estate. “Ruth Walking in Jeans” light art piece by Julien Opie can be found on Triton Street.

The North East Quadrant of the estate will provide a 500,000 sq ft mixed‐use scheme. The office element is designed by Wilkinson Eyre, with the apartments by Stephen Marshall Architects.
The interior and exterior lighting focused on creating an attractive, visually stimulating and pleasant night time environment within the urban context.

Cairo, Egypt for MBLD with WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo )

The design of Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis, Cairo comprises a unique mix of contemporary art and authentic décor that echoes modern Cairo along with the distinct Egyptian heritage. The overall design concept, including the lighting design revolves around interaction of light, water, and natural living elements.

The architecture uses radiating lines themed on Heliopolis ‐ city of the sun. Subtle sun motifs in the architecture and interiors are further supported by integrated lighting design sympathetic to the modern progressive style. The Red Sea themed ballroom features coral‐like glass ceiling with dynamic digital ight patterns, walls of water and water motion lights.

The hotel complex include 835 guest rooms and suites, 15 dining options, 69 thousand square feet of banquet space, and a range of recreational facilities .

Djerba, Tunisia for MBLD with Blue Sky Hospitality, Aukett Fitzroy Robinson and HART Associates

This resort hotel on the island south of Tunisia includes 296 contemporary rooms overlooking the Mediterranean Sea , a Spa with Thalasso therapy as well as meeting facilities, and numerous on‐site restaurants featuring international cuisines.

From the moment of entry the guest experiences succession of spaces that all offer their own purpose, mood and visual stimulus.

The lighting concept explored ways of creating a balance of light whilst promoting feeling of discovery. What happens when the sun sets? What are the visual memories created? The careful manipulation of the focal points, intensities, spill, reflection and colour were the essential lighting design ingredients here.

Canary Wharf, London for MBLD with HOK Architects

One Churchill Place is a 156 m tall skyscraper with 32 floors, serving as the global headquarters of Barclays Bank. The building is the seventh tallest office block in the United Kingdom and the fourth tallest building in the Docklands. The area size is 1,000,000 sq. ft. / 92,900 sq. m..The building including its lighting design achieved BREEAM EXCELLENT RATING for sustainability.

The lighting design scheme considered in particular the visual permeability of the building ,comfort of the users and rational energy use. Indirectly lit large scale atrium ceilings, backlit glass walls and the Barrisol ceilings provide soft ambient light whilst selective accent lighting brings out texture and aids orientation.

Maldives for MBLD with Clausen Chewning Interior Design

Kanuhura is a 5 five star 100‐room resort hotel located on Lhaviyani atoll to the north‐east of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. Travel is by seaplane, around 35 minutes from the International Airport at the Maldives capital, Male’. The lighting design project was carried out for One & Only operators however since then the resort has become part of Sun Resorts Limited whose other resorts include LuxuryLeTouessrok, SugarBeachandLa Pirogue in Mauritius.

The key focus for the lighting design scheme was sustainability and the preservation of the magical night time environment naturally present in this location. Recycled timber was used to produce lanterns locally for pathways and jetties. Tree friendly mounting straps were used to hide accent lighting into the foliage creating shadow play and avoiding visible luminaires. Colour hues and skin tone filtering was used throughout to emphasise the natural materials as well as the newly acquired tan of the guests!

Manchester, UK, Lighting Masterplan for MBLD with Woods Bagot Architects

The Piccadilly Tower is a 58‐ storey skyscraper with a height of 188 m (617 ft). Once completed the building will become the tallest building in UK outside London. The scheme is being developed by Irish based Ballymore.

The lighting masterplan design which included the public spaces now designed by landscape architect Martha Schwartz outlined the key elements of the lighting scheme both in terms of the conceptual approach and the technical requirements.

Key considerations included a provision of a safe and legible night time environment through considerate lighting for people of all abilities. The sustainability and the maintainability of the lighting scheme were given high importance as well as the notion of the development as a high quality evening time destination achieved through creative lighting design.

Broadgate, London, UK for MBLD with SOM Architects

10 Exchange Square is a new office building within the Broadgate in City of London,one of the premier business development s within Europe.

The exterior façade and public circulation lighting express the building as a new gateway on the western edge of the Estate during the hours of darkness. The blue brand colour of the Broadgate Estates were used to accentuate the curvature of the façade. Textured, cast glass walls defining the space were uplit creating strong night time vistas through the new urban space.

The lighting detailing extends into a lobby that provides an alternative indoor and outdoor route. At night, light is cast on the base of the walls, providing a subtle glow that frames the space and lends further ambiguity to the definition between inside and outside spaces.

Glasgow, Scotland for KSLD with Page & Park Architects

CCA is cultural centre comprising of gallery spaces, offices for cultural tenants as well as a café/restaurant, bar, theatre and a cinema. The building acts as a hub of experimental creative activity that engages with individuals and communities, contributing to the vibrancy and vitality of cultural life in Glasgow and beyond.

The lighting scheme was devised to cater for maximum flexibility .The lit appearance of the different zones can be tailored to suit the various events and exhibitions. The scope included the design of all the gallery and theatre lighting including rigging systems as well as the lighting design for the bars, restaurants, offices and circulation areas.

Baku, Azerbaijan for MBLD with Zaha Hadid Architects

The Heydar Aliyev Cultural Centre is a cultural complex currently being constructed in Baku, Azerbaijan. The project is considered by the government as a project of national importance .

The Cultural Centre will house, gallery spaces, cafes, restaurants, a concert hall, conference facilities with 3 auditoriums, a library and a museum. This ambitious project will play an integral role in the intellectual life of the city. Located close to the city centre, the site will play a pivotal role in the redevelopment of Baku.

The lighting design scheme integrates with the fluid form of Zaha Hadid Architects which emerges by the folding of the landscape’s natural topography and by the wrapping of individual functions of the Centre creating a strong night time identity.

Mecca, Saudi Arabia for MBLD with MET Studio

A large‐scale (8000 sq m) lunatarium and planetary experience gallery in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The lunatarium space consisted of four VIP floors ,high‐end expo‐style exhibitory and hospitality areas. High end planetarium included a virtual journey to the moon and beyond by MET Studio.

The fully integrated lighting design was devised to support the guest experience and their journey through different galleries and events.

Stockholm, Sweden for KSLD with Lundwall Associates & White Architects

Urban hotel in the centre of Stockholm comprising of 459 rooms and suites, three on‐site restaurants, health centre and 13 meeting and conference rooms.

The lighting design created dynamic visual features such as time controlled illuminated floors and walls. Focus was given to creation of depth and perspective with light .

Changing visual experiences were enabled for the regular guests through intelligent use of digital light. Brand colours and form revealing architectural façade lighting were used for strong appearance within the urban context .

Bucharest, Romania for MBLD with Blue Sky Hospitality, Buki Zuker Designers & Architects and Uri Blumenthal Architects

Urban city centre hotel in Bucharest . The site included 718 guest rooms, four restaurants, Blå Lounge Bar , exterior landscaping, outdoor pool as well as 12 meeting rooms and a 540 m2 ballroom. Lighting scope extended to all areas including buildings facades and the atrium.

Lighting concept was carefully crafted to play an active part of the the food and beverage concept by Blue Sky Hospitality as well as the interior design and the architecture. The lighting focused on the guest journey through the different spaces seeking to create a set of experiences distinct to the time of the day and night.

London, England, UK for MBLD with Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects

The West Winter Garden by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects is an abstract glass structure providing a protected walkway between Nash Court and the footbridge to South Quay in Canary Wharf district of London. Its structure is light and elegant, its interior animated by four groupings of tall bamboo trees.

The lighting design scheme creates gently lit frame with strongly accentuated central planters with internally lit glass seating, uplit trees and internally glowing stairs.