27th Annual IALD Design Awards

The 27th annual IALD International Lighting Design Awards have been unveiled. The winner of The Radiance Award for their third consecutive year is Speirs and Major Associates for their exterior lighting of the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The project has been featured in numerous lighting design blogs and magazines for the complexity of the concept and, ultimately, the high production value with which it was achieved.

The concept of the project was to light the mosque via projection towers strategically placed throughout the exterior of the facade. The projection work mimics the Islamic calendar which follows the lunar calendar, and is illustrated onto the structure via varying shades of deep hued blues to smoky grays, depending on the phase of the moon, new moon or full moon, respectively.

Architecturally, the project is almost laughable for it's over-the-top Disney theme that only the UAE and, perhaps, mid-western Americans who love Las Vegas, can appreciate. However, as a lighting concept that coordinates itself well with the large, lunar shapes of the domes and the following of Islamic prayer, it's a grand success.

The Utah State Capitol Restoration project received the Award of Excellence. The Beaux Arts-influenced capitol building experienced a lighting overhaul by Randy Burkett Lighting Design Inc. which resulted in reducing the energy by over 60%. Architecturally, the lighting of the structure enhanced the lines of the building. Internally, luminaires which were only known through archival photography were recreated, bringing a new old life to the interiors.

An Award of Merit went to the jewelery shop, Joyeria D in Pamplona, Spain. The lighting design firm associated with the retail shop is Architectural Lighting Solutions from the UK. Architecturally, the shop is such a whimsical play on the motif that it's foolish not to love. Like something from a James Bond movie, the architectural cladding of the interior is made to represent that of a foam-padded jewelery briefcase. All of the indirect lighting in the floor and mill work coves provides a sleek, hospitality-like environment, which I find to be very intimate. Whereas all of the direct lighting is smartly configured above the show counters to provide maximum bling for your bling, while minimizing the squint factor you might experience in many jewelery retail scenarios.

The World's Biggest LED Project to Date

The YAS Hotel in Abu Dhabi has created the world's largest LED project to date. Created by the lighting design department at Arup based out of New York City, the project used e:cue's lighting application suite 5.1 in order to integrate and program close to 5000 RGBW LEDs by Enfis and Cooper lighting products.

 
Below are some behind the scenes views of the modeling and the wiring involved in order to program these LEDs. This new technology allows for easier color-changing light sequences to be developed as well as low-resolution video to be played upon the grid shell exterior.
And someone posted a video on youtube of the first test-run.

If you're into lighting, this probably isn't the first time you've heard about this feat. And it also won't be the last.

Urbanscreen Façade Projections

A collaboration between Urbanscreen and Daniel Rossa, both of Germany, who creatively altered the perception of the Kunsthalle in Hamburg, has been big around the blogosphere.

 And upon some further research, Daniel Rossa, who works independently for Urbanscreen, has done some other interesting multimedia projects utilizing Urbanscreen's technology.

Nordwesthaus Boating Pavilion by Baumschlager Eberle

I'm definitely not the first to be blogging about this little Austrian "ice block" located on the Port Rohner harbor.

However, I can't help but admit that I am charmed by the lighting of the little joint. The facility from an architectural use standpoint might perhaps miss a few marks - serving as event venue for parties and workshops might prove cumbersome with its large concrete walls and relatively small size. No less, I found the marriage of the concrete with color-changing LED uplighting to be a harmonious one.

I am more and more on the fence lately with the rampant use of color-changing LED effects in architectural lighting that is currently popular. It seems a building can't be lit without it these days. Although I do appreciate the warmth that the design team Baumschlager Eberle of Lochau were able to bring to the space.

 

The design team had 125 custom LED spotlights developed by Baumschlager Eberle and the famed Austrian light group, Zumtobel. Placed at both the base and at all bottom sills of the voids, these specialty spotlights feature an asymmetrical light distribution as well as a randomized arrangement of LEDS. This asymmetrical light distribution was neccesary in order to cast light uniformly into the concrete voids as well as into the room and onto the walls.

 

I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more examples of color changing LEDs and concrete. Seeing as photogenic as the two are together, I have a feeling it won't be the last time we see it.

El Dorado's Cox Communications Building

El Dorado sure are getting a lot of attention lately. This small architecture/design firm based out of Kansas City, Missouri, pride themselves in finding creative solutions for their client's needs all while maintaining an edge. Their Cox Communications building in Topeka, Kansas, is no exception.

The client had three requirements for the building: durability, energy efficiency, and a budget of $80 per square foot.
By preserving their client's requests, interesting material choices and a clever lighting solution were made. Mostly using 3500K T5HO fluorescent lamps, El Dorado were able to keep the cost of lighting the building to a minimum. However, by placing them in indirect locations such as coves within the building skin, a clean aesthetic and a soft exterior glow were created.

The firm was able to light pathways and parkways all while using an indirect source and eliminate the need for stand-alone fixtures. The muted and matte material palette of Galvalume steel, concrete and glass are well-paired with fluorescent lighting, creating a look that is affordable and modern without appearing pretentious or vain.

Peltz Theater at the Museum of Tolerance

The Peltz Theater within Simon Wiesenthal's Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, California received a needed face lift.
The lighting designers associated with the project are the notable Horton Lees Brogden Lighting Design (HLB). One of HLB's more famous projects is the award winning relighting of the famous Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles seen on the right. HLB have received a Special Citation award for the Peltz theater in this month's issue of Architectural Lighting magazine noted for their "exquisite uniform illumination and the sensitive use of color in a lighting scheme."
The real gem is the collaborative design of a coil drape metal scrim that runs along either side of the theater's wall seen here to the right. The scrim addresses both acoustic issues and creates a soothing moiré effect, enhanced by grazing color changing LED covelights. The intensity of the light cast along the scrim can be altered easily by coordination within the control system, alternating between ambient front lighting, or dramatic back lighting.

Promenade Samuel-de Champlain

The first phase of the Promenade Samuel-de Champlain, completed in June 2008, is a public parkway that runs along the riverside in Quebec, Canada. The whimsical yet direct landscape lighting for the project was designed by Éclairage Public of Canada, who have an extensive portfolio.

The firm utilized various lights from Cooper Lighting, Lumascape, Sistemalux and WE-EF. The bollards by what I believe to be Sistemalux used to light the pathway I found especially intriguing. I appreciated the approach that was taken to graze the pathway, while spike the grass with a strip of light. After reviewing the company's website, I found that they also make a wall mounted version with the same aesthetic, and offer various versions of patterning of light emission.

The minimalist fountain and the equally minimalist lighting approach with its abstract paving pattern, is said to represent thawing river ice floes. And with six more miles of the Promenade yet to be completed, I'll be looking forward to their result.

Les Bains des Docks Public Pool

Perhaps it is indeed summer outside and I'm often at work, daydreaming of being outdoors. I suppose I can't be blamed then for blogging twice in one week about some amazing swimming pools.

In this month's issue of Architectural Record, the "cover girl" is Les Bains des Docks aquatic center located in France's channel port city of Le Havre. The $29 million public pool appears awfully photogenic, with help, of course, by good material choices and smart lighting.

The water, large skylights and glossy or translucent surface materials provide a calming, and clean ambiance, almost oxymoronic to what one might expect from an affordable, public swimming pool. The only area with any color is the children's play area, seen below.

Although no lighting designer is associated with the interiors, there are feature elements that show the architectural firm, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, had an overall interest in honoring and playing with light in this project. One that especially caught my eye is a transparent film with images of the light patterns refracted in water, as you'd see while opening your eyes underneath a pool, that are attached across skylights. These cast playful patterns on the surrounding white walls and move around the room through-out the day. This mirrored motif of light strikes me as almost tongue-in-cheek, or, at the least, very playful, a rare feat where architectural lighting is concerned.

Unfortunately the only image I had of these stretched fabrics was scanned from the issue of Architectural Record below. The pattern of light is shown on the wall, and although abstract, its concept is charming.

Limerick House Spa

When I first saw these photos of the Limerick House Spa in Ireland, I realized the potential light can have in creating a dynamic environment. It would seem all too often that lighting is an afterthought, especially when it comes to pools. Within this underground retreat, however, it is made immediately clear that there had to be some clever coordination between architect and lighting designer. In order to create the ambient space, most of the light sources are concealed within architectural elements, while color changing capabilities provide versatility in mood.

The project is a 2009 International Association of Lighting Design (IALD) award winner within the residential category. Graham Rollins of Lighting Design International based out of London was the senior lighting designer. This was the press release from IALD regarding the project, offering insight and perspective.