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8 Examples of Good Architectural Lighting Design
July 08, 2021
Architectural lighting design shapes how people experience a building, both visually and emotionally. It affects visibility, atmosphere, safety, and the way architectural form, texture, and material are perceived. Whether natural or artificial, lighting helps define space and reveal the qualities that make architecture memorable. In this article, we look at examples of good architectural lighting design and how lighting can support aesthetics, function, and energy efficiency in architecture.
What makes good architectural lighting design
Good architectural lighting design balances three core elements, aesthetics, function, and efficiency. From an aesthetic perspective, lighting helps shape the mood of a space and influences how people feel as they move through it. From a functional perspective, lighting improves visibility, supports safety, and helps occupants navigate a building comfortably.
What makes good architectural lighting design
Good architectural lighting design balances three core elements, aesthetics, function, and efficiency. From an aesthetic perspective, lighting helps shape the mood of a space and influences how people feel as they move through it. From a functional perspective, lighting improves visibility, supports safety, and helps occupants navigate a building comfortably.
From an efficiency perspective, a strong lighting concept reduces wasted light, improves performance, and supports sustainability goals. Modern LED technology plays an important role here, helping projects achieve both visual impact and lower operating costs.
Why architectural lighting design matters
Lighting is one of the most important tools in architecture because it changes how buildings are seen and used. It can highlight structure, create focal points, improve usability, and strengthen the identity of a place. In public, civic, hospitality, and commercial projects, lighting also supports experience, accessibility, and long term energy performance.
Why architectural lighting design matters
Lighting is one of the most important tools in architecture because it changes how buildings are seen and used. It can highlight structure, create focal points, improve usability, and strengthen the identity of a place. In public, civic, hospitality, and commercial projects, lighting also supports experience, accessibility, and long term energy performance.
1. Oslo Opera House, Norway
The chandelier, which hangs inside the circular reflector of the Oslo Opera House, is an important feature in the hall since it serves multiple purposes. For instance, it is the major source of illumination in the auditorium, and it is the first time that LEDs have been used in such a setting. With a diameter of 7 metres and weighing all of 8.5 tonnes, the chandelier is made out of 5800 hand-cast glass crystals with 800 LED lights shining through them. The chandelier dresses the hall in cool diffused light, adding to the dramatic ambience. For maintenance, the entire chandelier can be lowered down to the floor.
The four-storey Indian Heritage Centre building is an iconic, unique and sustainable building that blends both traditional Indian and contemporary architectural elements. The facade's architectural design is based on the baoli (or Indian stepwell) and aims to establish an urban platform for celebrating and appreciating Indian culture.
The building houses five permanent galleries, a museum shop as well as programming and activity spaces. The use of a translucent, shimmering façade to create the impression of the Centre as a "shining jewel" during the day, and its transformation into a "glowing lantern" of the Indian community at night with the lighting of the colourful façade mural, also captures the diversity and multi-faceted nature of Indian culture.
The building houses five permanent galleries, a museum shop as well as programming and activity spaces. The use of a translucent, shimmering façade to create the impression of the Centre as a "shining jewel" during the day, and its transformation into a "glowing lantern" of the Indian community at night with the lighting of the colourful façade mural, also captures the diversity and multi-faceted nature of Indian culture.
Set in the rejuvenated heart of Singapore's Financial district, V on Shenton is the ideal base for city living. Accentuating the unique geometrical patterns that encompass the building’s façade, the lighting design harmonises spatial planning throughout the interior and exterior spaces. The building’s architecture, lighting, and landscape all come together to make seamless composition, which is defined by its trademark hexagon shapes and structures.
Located in historic Natchitoches, Louisiana, the Louisiana State Museum and Sports Hall of Fame combines two disparate collections that were previously housed in a collegiate coliseum and a nineteenth-century courthouse. The building, which is located on the banks of Cane River Lake in the oldest community in the Louisiana Purchase, mediates the interaction between sports and history, past and future, the container and the contained.
5. Ofunato Civic Centre and Library, Japan
The Ofunato Civic Center and Library is a cultural complex that contains a 1,100-seat main hall, a library, multi-purpose facilities, an atelier, a tea room, and a studio. It is situated in Ofunato, a town on Iwate Prefecture's Sanriku Kaigan coastline in northeastern Japan. As part of the project's development, more than 50 regional workshops and fieldworks were held here to foster engagement between architects, local communities, and government officials.
6. Mecenat Art Museum, Japan
The Mecenat Art Museum of Hiroshima is a privately funded endeavour, created by NAF Architect & Design and supported by a Japanese painting student to give exhibition space for his highly respected teacher, Mr Kakudo Goami. The design of the building is similar to an origami paper sheet that has been folded and unfolded to reveal angles and faceted parts. The interior features a sophisticated space that contrasts with the austere concrete exterior.
Because art museums value wall space, no visible windows have been included in the design. Instead, NAF Architect & Design opted for a series of triangular-shaped openings and myriad star-like cutouts, as well as skylights and a rather spectacular cylindrical structure, all of which allow natural light to illuminate the space.
Because art museums value wall space, no visible windows have been included in the design. Instead, NAF Architect & Design opted for a series of triangular-shaped openings and myriad star-like cutouts, as well as skylights and a rather spectacular cylindrical structure, all of which allow natural light to illuminate the space.
Inspiration comes in many forms at the JW Marriott Hotel Zhengzhou -- from the architectural design, which is based on the 1,500-year-old Songyue Pagoda, to the amenities, which were built with the modern traveller in mind. This 280-meter-tall luxury hotel is a destination for both local and foreign guests, located in the centre of Zhengdong New District CBD between the Convention and Exhibition Center and the Henan Art Center.
Architecturally, the State Courts, which was completed in 1975, departs radically from the neo-classical aesthetic of the old Supreme Court building, which is associated with British influence during the colonial period.
This black-and-white, nine-story building is done in a contemporary style, which stresses clean lines and geometric forms. Previously, the building housed 26 courtrooms -- today, there are 40 courtrooms and 28 hearing chambers. The design of the State Courts also reflects the philosophical ideals of the law. The front and back of the structure, which is surrounded by roads, are identical. The State Courts building was gazetted for conservation in 2013
This black-and-white, nine-story building is done in a contemporary style, which stresses clean lines and geometric forms. Previously, the building housed 26 courtrooms -- today, there are 40 courtrooms and 28 hearing chambers. The design of the State Courts also reflects the philosophical ideals of the law. The front and back of the structure, which is surrounded by roads, are identical. The State Courts building was gazetted for conservation in 2013
Conclusion
Architectural lighting design does more than make buildings look impressive. It helps architecture perform better by improving visibility, supporting the intended atmosphere, and increasing energy efficiency. The examples above show how lighting can work with architecture to create spaces that are more functional, memorable, and visually distinctive.