Photo by: © Justin Ford

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By: Jessica Merkens

On the 9th of May, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) came together in Chicago and handed out their annual awards for some of the world's most impressive lighting design projects.

The seventeen lighting design projects that were accoladed were diverse and included museums, temples, bridges, avenues and even a cafeteria. These are our favourites.

The Bahá’í community had to wait almost a hundred years for it -the Bahá’i faith first arrived in Chile in 1919-, but in 2016 the very first Bahá’í temple in South-America opened its doors in Santiago, Chile. It took fourteen years to develop the impressive design of Canadian architect Siamak Hariri. The dome is located at the foot of the Andes and is shaped like a giant flower bud that is at the verge of blooming. Production of the dome made of glass, steel and marble was a real challenge. Several computer models and calculations were needed to correctly form the nine massive translucent petals that give the temple its unique appearance and the exterior glass cladding had to be custom made.

Light plays an integral role in the design. Because of the translucent properties of the petals, the dome lights up at night with lighting coming from within. Artificial lighting is mostly integrated into the overall design, with only the mechanical fittings of the outdoor lights being visible from the outside. Inside, indirect lighting low in luminance predominates. Elliptical spots are hidden in the mausoleum benches of the interior decor and exude a warm, soft light colour on the marble walls. This was one of the main reasons for the jury to grant the designers from Limari Lighting Design with the Award of Excellence: “In this project, lighting is beautifully integrated and meditative, painting light only where it is needed and breathing life into its materials and form.”

Since its opening in 2016, the temple was granted several prestigious awards. Next to the IALD Award of Excellence, it was previously awarded the Innovation in Architecture award.

Photo by: IALD

Photo by: IALD

Photo by: © Aryeh Kornfeld

Photo by: © Aryeh Kornfeld

Photo by: © Giulio Antonutto-Foi

This British museum is over 150 years old and tells the story of scientific and technological advances of mankind.

The design of the mathematics gallery is a mathematical piece of art itself with its precisely calculated geometrical design of an aircraft’s wind tunnel. It’s made by architects of the renowned Zaha Hadid office, and it was the first project they took on in the UK after their founder’s death in 2016. Interestingly, Hadid herself studied mathematics in Beirut before moving to London to study Architecture in the ‘70s and becoming one of the world’s most praised architects. Her work is strongly influenced by ideas about geometry. For this project, the architects were inspired by the airflow of a moving aeroplane. Several computer models were needed to calculate and model the exact turbulent flow of the aircraft.

A visit to this gallery is a memorable experience, partly due to impressive use of lighting by Arup. A mix of blue and purple light fills the space, creating ‘a breath-taking environment’, as the jury commented. The visitor’s attention is drawn to the plane, its airflow and the several works on display by brushes of light on the floor. According to the jury, the lighting plan is ‘stunning and almost more interesting than the exhibit itself.’ It was granted an Award of Merit.

Architect studio Neri&Hu took on the challenge to bring back the character of a historic theatre from the ’30 in Shanghai that lost almost all of its original details over time. The facade was covered with big slabs of smooth grey-toned stone. At ground level the facade is set back right in the middle, inviting passers-by inside. The entrance is covered with fluted bronze walls inspired by the theatre’s curtains which contrast nicely with the heavy stone. Seven apertures in the roof were placed so that daylight can enter the building, with artificial lighting as invisible support. The LED light fixtures were hanged in a way that they follow the Sun across the building, and the cooler colour temperature of the lighting is reminiscent of natural light.

Inside the building, the lighting fixtures had to be invisible, so the lighting designers came up with several smart lighting solutions. Unique luminaires were designed for spaces with high ceilings, while in smaller areas linear light strips were placed in coves in the floor, walls and ceiling.

The jury praises the nostalgic atmosphere that’s created around the new theatre, while the moody restrained lighting is reminiscent of old Shanghai. The designers from Unolai Lighting Design were given the Award of Excellence. Dezeen dropped by the iconic building and made this beautiful video:

Photo by: © Pedro Pegenaute

Photo by: © Pedro Pegenaute

Photo by: © Pedro Pegenaute

Photo by: © Sichau & Walter Architekten BDA

Photo by: © Sichau & Walter Architekten BDA

This German museum got honoured with the most prestigious award: the Radiance Award. It was the first time since 2011 that a contestant was able to collect enough points to win this prize. The museum is located in Erbach and has more than two-thousand ivory objects on display, some of which date back to the Middle Ages.

The jury was especially charmed by the ‘simple elegance and perfect harmony’ of the way the museum and the objects were lighted. The monochromatic lighted cubes containing the ivory items are in stark contrast with the red leather clad pier underneath. Also, all lighting elements inside the cubes are concealed by a small profile tracing at the corners.

The lighting designers of Licht Kunst Licht were able to eliminate reflection inside of the cubs by hiding all light sources from the outside and by a focused light distribution inside the display cases. Visitors are guided through the museum by a red thread of LED strips.

This roundabout in Croatia covers a stunning 15.000 square metres. Next to a traffic junction, the roundabout also functions as a rainwater drainage system to resolve the community’s flooding problems. At night the roundabout turns into a gigantic open-air theatre of light.The artwork impressively shows how light art can go hand in hand with innovative infrastructure.

The light effects are created by a water-damp vapour that is secreted by over three-hundred white poles and subsequently lit up. The poles are connected to the meteorological station. Because of this connection, different light and vapour effects are shown depending on real-time wind strength and time of day. Skira lighting design was responsible for the project and went home with an Award of Merit.

Photo by: IALD

Photo by: © Danijel Bartolic

Photo by: © Danijel Bartolic

The International Association of Lighting Designers was founded in 1969 to support independent, professional lighting designers. By promoting and awarding lighting design projects and artists, it hopes to raise the bar for lighting design around the world.

For a complete overview of this year’s award winners and more information on the International Association of Lighting Designers, click here.