2018 | China | Hong Kong | Chi Lin Nunnery | Buddhist Pagoda

2014 | Italy | Venice | Papadopoli Palace | Aman Resorts

2019 | Italy | Venice | Cini Foundation | Isgrò Exhibition

2012 | Italy | Palermo | Branciforte Palace

2011 | Italy | Milan | Royal Palace | A. Gentileschi Exhibition

2010 | Italy | Rome | Baths of Diocletian | Cascella Exhibition

2013 | Italy | Milan | Brera Botanical Garden

2019 | China | Hong Kong | Chi Lin Nunnery | The Main Hall

2017 | Switzerland | Geneva | Saint-Pierre Cathedral

2012 | Hungary | Budapest | Klotild Palace

Lighting Designer: who create light and shadows dialogue

"Light creates the ambiance and feel of a place, as well as the expression of a structure". These are certainly not my words, nor are they those of a lighting designer. This statement was made by Le Corbusier, one of the most influential figures in the history of contemporary architecture. In one of his magnificent buildings — the Notre-Dame du Haut chapel in Ronchamp — light plays a symbolic central role and, at the same time, creates a veritable formal layout. Slits and windows produce evocative chiaroscuro effects, emphasized by the contrast between the white plastering and the gray concrete. The space acquires form and the two opposing elements, rather than creating dissonance, complement one another, highlighting an important aspect: the inseparable relationship between light and shadow.

So how do we design the lighting in our buildings? A lighting designer uses codes and standards that indicate how the light should be, in terms of lux and uniformity. This is how we create uniform lighting, in a regular grid of lamps. That doesn’t mean that lighting regulations needn’t be taken into account. On the contrary, they should be respected, but with a critical eye. In developing his projects, a lighting designer should try to boost the engagement of all the stakeholders involved. Can we really connect people and projects?

Italy Milan Royal Palace Exhibition Emilio Isgrò

Based in Milan, he works on commission. Marco Petrucci, born in 1982, obtained a degree in Industrial Design from La Sapienza University of Rome and a first level Master's degree from the Polytechnic of Milan, in Design and Technologies of Lighting. Please write to info@petruccimarco.it or visit the Linkedin profile.

Method: design the light, first what to do and then how to do it. Ours is an age built on action, rather than on the capacity for reflection. Reflection takes time, dedication, effort and discipline. The perception of the dominance of the instant and the exponential evolution of technological devices, for example, weaken the reasoning faculty. It is therefore clear that the mere illusion of progress is taking us away from our primary needs. A re-education of thought is therefore necessary aimed at returning to the "human measure", to the universality of human values. Technique and scientific knowledge alone are not able to provide answers to the world of design. Image: Emilio Isgrò Exhibition, Milan, Real Palace.

Lighting Designer: who create light and shadows dialogue

There's a beautiful statement that says: "Light creates the ambiance and feel of a place, as well as the expression of a structure". Well, these are not my words but, of course, those of the famous architect Le Corbusier. You can see what he meant by looking at one of his beautiful buildings — the Notre Dame du Haut chapel in Ronchamp — where light is created in relation to shadows. I think that no lighting design is good, healthy and able to foster wellbeing unless it also considers darkness and shadows.

Based in Milan, he works on commission. Marco Petrucci, born in 1982, obtained a degree in Industrial Design from La Sapienza University of Rome and a first level Master's degree from the Polytechnic of Milan, in Design and Technologies of Lighting. Please write to info@petruccimarco.it or visit the Linkedin profile.
Method: design the light, first what to do and then how to do it. Ours is an age built on action, rather than on the capacity for reflection. Reflection takes time, dedication, effort and discipline. The perception of the dominance of the instant and the exponential evolution of technological devices, for example, weaken the reasoning faculty. It is therefore clear that the mere illusion of progress is taking us away from our primary needs. A re-education of thought is therefore necessary aimed at returning to the "human measure", to the universality of human values. Technique and scientific knowledge alone are not able to provide answers to the world of design. Image: Emilio Isgrò Exhibition, Milan, Real Palace.

So this is how we illuminate our offices. We have codes and standards that tell us that the lighting design should be even and produce a certain amount of lux. So we create uniform lighting from one wall to the other in a regular grid of lamps. This does not mean that we do not respect lighting regulations, but can we engage people more in the lighting design projects that we create, so they really want to connect with them?

The Italian Lighting Design Studio

The studio was founded in Milan by Livio Castiglioni. Between the Thirties and Seventies, in his workshop-warehouse-office, Livio designed. Like a modern-day alchemist, his tools included: reel-to-reel recorders, transformers, lamps, skeins of cables, amplifiers, and speakers. Passing through the intangible dimensions of light and sound, from radios and televisions to lamps and lighting systems, he experimented with the relationship between the visible and invisible. The late-Sixties saw his son Piero’s entry into the firm and the beginning of their first tailor-made artisan production of lighting fixtures. Halogen lamps and semi-finished components were assembled to meet project requirements. It was in this period that lighting design was born.

Over fifty years later, the Via Presolana studio is still collaborating with Italian and international architects, working in the field of lighting design for museums, theatres, exhibitions, and head offices. It has remained faithful to a design approach that ensures the light is integrated into the dimensions of the architecture and its functions. Research into technological innovation on the one hand and continual experimentation on the other mean that each project is unique and that there are no fixed parameters. Light is a service and, as such, its goal is to show what’s visible without altering the perception of the space.

Building

Architectural lighting design gives spaces a form and function. Through research, lighting is adapted to the surroundings and activities to meet the needs of clients. Modulating illumination means that a variety of scenarios can be created: an airport, for example, needs to be bright to favor user attention and focus, while a home requires suitable light for relaxation and domestic activities.

Museum

In a museum, the lighting design should favor the one and only protagonist: the work of art. The lighting designer carefully uses light as a tool to enhance the playfulness of shadow while accompanying the viewer in interpreting the work in the most faithful way possible. In these cases, the function of the lighting design is to enhance the details while maintaining the overall architectural view.

Design

The increasing demand for high-performance LED sources has led to the meticulous design of lamps which improve comfort while saving energy. Innovative design merges classic and new generation materials in light fixtures, which have become an essential part of the architectural project. Careful use of halogen sources can become a valid alternative to more advanced technologies.

Building

Architectural lighting design gives spaces a form and function. Through research, lighting is adapted to the surroundings and activities to meet the needs of clients. Modulating illumination means that a variety of scenarios can be created: an airport, for example, needs to be bright to favor user attention and focus, while a home requires suitable light for relaxation and domestic activities.

Museum

In a museum, the lighting design should favor the one and only protagonist: the work of art. The lighting designer carefully uses light as a tool to enhance the playfulness of shadow while accompanying the viewer in interpreting the work in the most faithful way possible. In these cases, the function of the lighting design is to enhance the details while maintaining the overall architectural view.

Design

The increasing demand for high-performance LED sources has led to the meticulous design of lamps which improve comfort while saving energy. Innovative design merges classic and new generation materials in light fixtures, which have become an essential part of the architectural project. Careful use of halogen sources can become a valid alternative to more advanced technologies.

Headquarter

The combined use of natural and artificial light helps to harmonize and balance the spaces, whether for work or recreation. The architectural lighting design of a hall or meeting room requires a specific study to bring a specific function to life.Luminous intensity varies, connecting the independent spaces. An essential requirement in these projects is their compliance with LEED quality parameters.

Palace

Architectural lighting design emphasizes the details of the elevations, shaping their volumes, enticing interest and amplifying emotions. The lighting design of a façade requires attentive analysis, which carefully considers, in some cases, cultural heritage constraints and the overall energy available, and in others, light pollution, etc., while maintaining an aesthetic sensitivity that adds value to the urban setting.

Retail

The lighting design of a showroom window display contributes decisively to capturing the attention of potential customers. Flexible modulation of light enables the free management of various configurations; the choice of color rendering enhances product materials and colors of products. The lighting designer’s work is fundamental for increasing sales and enhancing the culture of the brand.

Headquarter

The combined use of natural and artificial light helps to harmonize and balance the spaces, whether for work or recreation. The architectural lighting design of a hall or meeting room requires a specific study to bring a specific function to life.Luminous intensity varies, connecting the independent spaces. An essential requirement in these projects is their compliance with LEED quality parameters.

Palace

Architectural lighting design emphasizes the details of the elevations, shaping their volumes, enticing interest and amplifying emotions. The lighting design of a façade requires attentive analysis, which carefully considers, in some cases, cultural heritage constraints and the overall energy available, and in others, light pollution, etc., while maintaining an aesthetic sensitivity that adds value to the urban setting.

Retail

The lighting design of a showroom window display contributes decisively to capturing the attention of potential customers. Flexible modulation of light enables the free management of various configurations; the choice of color rendering enhances product materials and colors of products. The lighting designer’s work is fundamental for increasing sales and enhancing the culture of the brand.

Collaborations

News

This section is dedicated to design and architectural lighting design history. Through historical analysis, we try to understand present needs and future lighting design goals. We'll also talk about tenders, the doors to access the labor market, industry associations and the real downstream activities behind multinational lamp manufacturers. Enjoy your reading and feel free to leave any comments.

Great Masters | Alessandro Mendini

Great Masters | Alessandro Mendini Alessandro Mendini (portrait) "I could avoid designing in order to realise but not to think, write or draw... An interview, a drawing, a small exhibition can tell more about me than a great project" Alessandro Mendini Unlike other architects and designers, he was first a theorist and then a designer. From 1970 to 1976 he directed "Casabella". He relaunched the magazine in an innovative way, approaching the demands of students and the new directions of…

Great Masters | Alessandro Mendini

Great Masters | Alessandro Mendini Alessandro Mendini (portrait) "I could avoid designing in order to realise but not to think, write or draw... An interview, a drawing, a small exhibition can tell more about me than a great project" Alessandro Mendini Unlike other architects and designers, he was first a theorist and then a designer. From 1970 to 1976 he directed "Casabella". He relaunched the magazine in an innovative way, approaching the demands of students and the new directions of…