The illuminated architecture examples illustrate the experiential effect of lighting. The lit-up structures, interiors and art installations aim to ignite the senses and are all great examples of sensory design.
Whether leading their visitor through a fantastical and conceptual environment or changing the image of an industrial environment, lighting has the power to transform one's perception of their environment.
Memorable examples from this list of illuminated architecture finds include Montreal's La Vitrine Culturelle building and Erick van Egeraat's redesign of the Incineration Line energy plant. While La Vitrine Culturelle's color-changing facade brings life to a quiet street corner, the Incineration Line's illuminated exterior adds warmth and charm to an otherwise industrial building.
Though seemingly ordinary, each of these buildings are transformed with life, becoming instant landmark spots within their communities.
49 Illuminated Architecture Examples
From Pulsing Light Facades to Interactive LED Installations:
Jana Pijak — Sep 10, 2014 — Art & Design
49
Marine Invertebrate Installations
Jelly Swarm by Tangible Interaction Teaches About the Sea
48
Led-Lit Libraries
The Castro Leal Library Uses Diode Lighting
47
LED Latticed Nightclubs
Club NOX is a Study in Beats and Badass Brazilian Basket-Weaving
46
Illuminated Origami Installations
London's Canary Wharf Hosts Thousands of Floating Lights
45
Multihued Illuminated Sculptures
This Solar-Powered Interactive Sculpture Benefitted Indian Slums
44
Illuminated Cube Installations
Oyler Wu Collaboration Made this Installation for Beijing Biennale
43
Illuminated Luminariums
The EXXOPOLIS Luminarium is an Exhibition of Inflatable Domes
42
Innumerable Globe Installations
The Dome by Hector Serrano Provided Visual Spectacle at Coachella
41
Tonal Technicolor Installations
The Light Show at Hayward Gallery Exhibits Illustrious Art Pieces
40
Vibrant Illuminated Apartments
A.A. Studio Creates Creatively Coloured Blanche Living Space
39
Blue-Hued Seafaring Pavilions
Joana Vasconcelos' Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2013 is Surreal
38
Illuminated Grass Installations
The GS Caltex Pavilion at EXPO 2012 is Dynamically Designed
37
Sci-Fi Pool Pavilions
The Aquarena Aqua Leisure Center Embodies its Futuristic Inspiration
36
Infinite LED Installations
Prism Design Creates the Infinity Bamboo Forest
35
Giant Festive Illuminations
Christmas Lights Berlin by Brut Deluxe Brings Holiday Cheer
34
Trippy Wall Art
The 'LMK' Light Installation Takes You Into a Trance
33
Foot-Powerd Transit Shelters
This Detroit LED Bus Stop Generates Energy from Pedestrian Pacing
32
LED Honeycomb Structures
Chris Knapp's Cellular Tessellation Installation is Fuelled by Geometry
31
Illuminated Structure Captures
This Collection of Bridges at Night by Cuded is Marvelous
30
Neon Pharmacies
Buj+Colon Arquitectos Designs Illuminated Drug Store in Spain
29
Illuminated Walls
Patterned LED Bottle Wall by Alex Beim Adds Colorful Ambiance
28
Futuristic Illumination Installations
The Luminous Field by Luftwerk Takes on a Sci-Fi Inspiration
27
Futuristic Ski Resorts
The W Hotel is a Swiss Ski Resort Filled with Flashy Modern Fixtures
26
Sustainably Illuminated Art
The Water Light Graffiti Installation is Responsibly Innovative
25
Projected Facade Architecture
The Caixaforum by Carme Pinos Boasts a Visually Vivid Design
24
Color-Changeing LED Architecture
The La Vitrine Culturelle Embodies an Urban Spirit
23
Illuminated Industrial Architecture
Erick van Egeraat's Incineration Line is a Roskilde Landmark
22
Meticulously Lit Architecture
The Villa Noord-Brabant is Illuminated with Precision
21
Eccentric Luminous Glass Art
Excentrique by Daniel Buren Makes the World a Little More Colorful
20
Futuristic Fuchsia-Blast Aviators
Virgin Atlantic Airways Gets a Touch of Chic by VW + BS Studio
19
Illuminated Aquatic Exhibits
The Greenpeace Expo by De Organisatie Promotes Marine Reserves
18
Illuminated Kaleidoscopic Mosques
The Nasir Al-Molk Mosque is Illuminated with Color Every Morning
17
Uplifting Children's Health Centres
The Royal London Hospital Morag Myerscough Room is Playful
16
Artistic LED-Lit Tunnels
The Light Lab Installs a Modern Tunnel at King's Cross
15
Competition-Based Light Installations
Lightbattle Invites People to Create Light Through Cycling
14
Reworked Silo Lighthouses
A Finnish Design Team Has Made a Cool Lighthouse Out of a Forgotten Silo
13
Illuminated Atomic Pavilions
SOL Dome is a Remarkably Lightweight Structure that Alights at Night
12
Illuminated Micro Bubbles
'Soho Snog' Light Installation in London Frozen Yogurt Shop
11
Patterned Triangle Architecture
DABURA Builds the Sankakudzukushi in Japan
10
Pulsing Light Walls
Acrylicize's Mosaic Installation Features Color Changing Lights
9
Illuminated Water Towers
Brunce Munro Gives Salisbury Cathedral a Luminous Makeover
8
Illuminated Empty Obelisks
The Tower of Ring by EASTERN Design Office is a Shining Monument
7
Illuminated Vortex Installations
The Daydream V.2 by Nonotak Studio is Utterly Mesmerizing
6
Illuminated Sphere Cloud Sculptures
WHITEvoid's 'Fluidic' Immerses Crowds in a Laser-Fueled Show
5
Illuminated Cacti Art
'The Ark' by Romain Tardy Turns Cacti into an Epic Light Installation
4
Enchanted Forest Installations
Moment Factory Presents the Foresta Lumina in Quebec
3
Electric Illumination Installations
Marshmallow Laser Feast Creates a Forest Made of Laser Beams
2
Dance-Powered Installations
A Pyramid at Nuits Sonores Translated Movement to Light
1
Massive Puzzle Block Buildings
The Ars Electronic Building is a Playable Rubiks Cube
Related Ideas
Venetian-Inspired Museum Designs
The Conceptual Floating Glass Museum is AI-Generated
Glowing Tubular Light Fixtures
The 'Array' Lighting Has an Unconventional and Subtle Form
Illusory Brick Wall Illuminators
The OG Brick Lamp Hides in Plain Sight to Illuminate After Dark
Plant-Filled Latticed Buildings
Wallflower Architecture + Design Creates the Touching Eden House
Innovative Office Lighting Designs
Studio De Schutter Emphasizes Minimalism in Peak Ace Offices
Cactus-Inspired Urban Skyscrapers
This Danish Skyscraper Features a Spiky Facade Design
Blurry Abstract Photography Exhibits
Hiroshi Sugimoto Displays the Optical Allusion Exhibition
Experiential Entertainment Spaces
Illuminarium is Set to Open in Toronto's Distillery District
Futuristic Auto Micro Factories
Most Architecture Unveils a Modern Factory for Charge Cars
Retro Nightlife-Inspired Hotels
Necchi Architecture Designs the Hôtel Château d'Eau
Immersive Solar-Powered Installations
Marjan van Aubel & Lexus Unveil the 8 Minutes and 20 Seconds
Nostalgic Light Installations
Toronto's Illuminarium is Launching 'LITE-BRITE: Worlds of Wonder'
Colorfully Immersive Retail Experiences
Al-Jawad Pike Designs a Athletic Propulsion Labs Store
Psychedelic Sculptural Art Installations
The Frank Stella: Recent Sculpture Exhibition Opens in NY
Functional Illuminated Bricks
Omar Gandhi Architects Creates the OG Brick Light for Various Uses
Japanese Inn-Inspired Apartments
Intheory Design Creates an Apartment Inspired by Ryokan
Colorful Educational Art Installations
Mario Cucinella Architects Displays Sparking Change
Beautifully Sculptural Concrete Museums
Qatar Museums Unveils Official Images of the Lusail Museum
Tactile Fashion Boutique Designs
FOG Architecture Designs a New Xiaozhuo Store Location
Integrated Garden Designs
Ludwig Godefroy Champions "Habitable Gardens" in Mexico
Vibrant Inclusive Playground Exhibitions
Wade and Leta Presents the Falling Into Place Exhibition
Intricate Lighting Sculptures
Objects of Common Interest Creates the Lights on Installation
Transparent Climate Classrooms
Forma Transforms a Century-old Glasshouse in Copenhagen
Everyday Material Colorful Pavilions
Foster + Partners and NEON Create Two Pavilions in London
Vibrant Multi-Level Office Designs
Gensler Reimagines the Accenture Office Space in Chicago
Orb Lighting Installations
Teamlab's Mangrove Island is an Innovative Display of Lights and Color
Curved Translucent Experimental Apartments
NEUHÄUSL HUNAL Designs the Sculptor's Apartment
Concept-Driven Public Art Installations
Ivan Toth Depeña Unveils Photon/s in Downtown Charlotte
Blown Glass-Inspired Lighting Capsules
Gauzak Design Studio Creates the Luisa Collection of Light
Perception-Challenging Art Exhibitions
Raise the Moral Studio Presents the Becoming Familiar Show
Vibrant Museum Foyer Renovations
Studio Besau-Marguerre Transfroms Mk&g's Foyer
Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
This Czech Office Complex is Outfitted With Eco-Friendly Designs
Metaphorical Physical Community Buildings
ShedKM Designs the Lighthouse Church in Marseyside
Stainless Steel-Wrapped Buildings
Payette Adorns the EXP Building with Metal Strips Throughout
Vibrant Adaptable Workplaces
Ester Bruzkus Architekten Designs a Modern Workspace for Relaxound
Sculptural Sunken Gardens
Montalba Architects Renovates an Iconic Building in Los Angeles
Thematic Large-Scale Light Installations
SPOOKY AT ILLUMI Offers a Unique Family Experience
Chic Modern-Industrial Buildings
YN Studio Designs a Slick Facade in Gillett Square
Gallery-Like Elevated Retail Designs
Format Architecture Office Designs the Leica Store & Gallery
Swooped Museum Roof Planes
BIG Designs the Waterfront Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art
Modern Office Environments
The MOL Campus Project Was Designed by Architecture Firm Kinzo
Immersive Light Art Installations
Olafur Elisson Presents Your Psychoacoustic Light Ensemble
Striking Glass Canopy Designs
Heatherwick Studio is Redeveloping Olympia in London, United Kingdom
New-Generation Artful Urban Hubs
IED and CampusX Join Forces on the Pixel Project
Transformed Historic Bank Buildings
Ivy Studio Overhauls the Interior of a Historic Building
Bamboo-Inspired Cultural Buildings
This Cultural Center Seamlessly Blends Into its Surroundings
Sensory Explorative Art Exhibitions
Chromasonic Presents the Making Sense of Color Exhibition
Lotus Plant-Inspired Skyscrapers
Aedas Designs the Pair of One Future Buildings Lined with Bronze
Futuristic Totemic Lighting Series
Jeremy Anderson Designs a Set of Floor Lamps for Space Relics
Vibrant Tonal Spanish Apartments
Colombo and Serboli Architecture Designs a Barcelona Apartment
Greenery-Packed Museum Buildings
This Science Museum is Designed Around a Central Park
Ethereal Oil Lamp Systems
The TIWA Gallery is Beautifully Lit up by A Realm of Light
Futuristic Vibrant London Apartments
2LG Studio Designs a Vibrant Apartment in East London
Energy-Neutral Media Pavilions
AMDL Circle Designs the Novartis Pavilion in Basel, Switzerland
Library-Converted Modern Sheds
The Act of Quad Creates the Light Box in Mumbai, India
Sustainable Visitor Pavilions
NU Architectuur Atelier Designs the Green Arc in a Garden
Sustainable Acoustic Lighting Designs
atelier oï and Impact Acoustic Design the Oloïd Light
Geometric Prefabricated Pavilions
Heams & Michel Architectes Presents the 7 Kiosks Project
Pixelated Illusion Housing
Ben Van Berkel Creates the Van B Housing with Rieder's Help
Contrasting Facade Clad Apartments
Messner Architets Designs the RVTK Apartments in Italy
Sleek Structural Lighting Designs
Hania Jneid Designs the Dynamic Emotional Lab Light
Temple-Inspired Sculptural Lighthouses
Gonzalo Lebrija Designs the Dynamic El Faro Lighthouse
Environmentally Blending Residences
A Threshold Studio Designs the Ineffable Light Home
Vibrant Light Festival Displays
The 2024 Beijing Chaoyang International Light Festival is Striking
Cloister-Style Sculptural Galleries
Axel Vervoordt and Tatsuro Miki Design the Meridiano
Exposed Concrete Factory Structures
Iksoi Studio Adds a Concrete Grid to the Mallcom Factory
Natural Light-Centric Timber Homes
Studio Varey Architects Designs the Huron House in London
Window-Emulating Lighting Solutions
Noëmi Orgaer's Window Chronicles Connects to the Outdoors
Colorful Light-Filled Urban Homes
gon architects Creates the Casa Flix Located in Madrid
Colorfully Interior Designed Cafes
Fogarty Finger Architecture Designs the Lackawanna Café
Natural Japanese Art Galleries
Brazil's Yayoi Kusama Gallery Features a Nature-Inspired Design
Crystalline Chinese Museum Buildings
The 'Space Crystal' Building Looks Like An Otherworldly Rock
Tubular Shadow Play Illuminators
The Flos Emi Lighting Collection Creates Beautiful Visual Effects
Light Reflective Modern Villas
PPAA Completes the Concrete Villa with a 'Water Mirror'
Brutalist Concrete Tower Apartments
Archmongers Renovates the Trellick Tower in London
Exposed Concrete Stealthy Homes
OFIS Aritekti Designs the Villa Eternal Way in Slovenia
Metal-Wrapped Exhibition Spaces
Trace Architecture Office Creates a Structural Steel Wrap
Illuminated Cave-Like Offices
Javier Senosiain Arquitectos Designs Rugged Office in Mexico
Artfully Inspired Home Renovations
Reflect Architecture Designs the North Drive House in Toronto
Mindful Illumination Holiday Campaigns
Santa & Cole Presents a Warm Embracing Light Campaign
Live-In Art Gallery Homes
Casa Galeria is a Home That Doubles as an Art Gallery
Industrial Converted Hotel Lobbies
Colboc Sachet Architects Develops a Lobby at Bacalan Block
Graphic-Accented Brutalist Apartments
Jean Verville Designs a Creative Laboratory in Quebec City
Woodland-Inspired Timber Office Spaces
Atelier du Pont Completes the Pavilion Jardins Building
Wind-Responsive Panel Pavilions
Fernanda Ahumada & FREE Design the National Biodiversity Pavilion
Bright Colorful Converted Apartments
Alarquitectos Presents the São Sebastião 123 Apartment
Pier-Side Dynamic Office Spaces
The New BIG HQ is a New Office on the Industrial Harbour
Painting-Immersive Photo Exhibits
Abelardo Morell Presents the New Ground Exhibition
LED-Wrapped Airport Renovations
Prague's Airport is Getting a Sustainable and High-Tech Update
Light-Filled City Center Gardens
ROOM + Design & Build Designs the Secret Garden in Vietnam
Synergy-Inspired Lighting Capsules
The Doppler Series of Light is Inspired by the Doppler Effect
Perforated Light-Passing Art Installations
The Volvo Circle Pavilion Uses Tyvek Facades
Swirled Public Art Installations
FreelandBuck Designs the Tunnel Vision Installation
Parametric Style Video Games
Zaha Hadid Architects and Epic Games Add to Re:Imagine London
Sensory-Enhanced Workspace Designs
Design ni Dukaan Elevates Workspace Design in Various Senses
Halo-Like Skylight Homes
Tamara Wibowo Architects Designs the Halo House in Indonesia
Poetic Habourfront Nature Centers
3XN Created the Centre for Coastal Nature and Sport Fishing
Cascading Aluminum Pipe Museums
Kengo Kuma Design the Audeum Museum with an Aluminum Facade
Red Concrete Exhibition Centers
Mix Architecture Designs the Red Box Exhibition Center
Kaleidoscope Vibrant Pavilions
Google's Mountain View Features a Halo Pavilion Artwork
Modern Deco Office Designs
Reflect Architecture Designs the NewGen Office with Contemporary Detail
Brutalist Converted Learning Centers
Archipelago Transforms a Post Office to a Learning Space
Lighthouse-Functioning Concrete Structures
Lin Architecture Creates the Concrete Pavilion in China
Light-Centric Evocative Home Designs
HW Studio Designs the Casa Emma in Morelia, Mexico
Office Building Rainbow Facades
SAKO Architects Designs the Vertical Rainbow Office Building
Rippled Facade Luxe Retailers
Aranda\Lasch Designs the New Dior Store Interior Facade in Qatar
Sculptural Museum Expansions
Diller Scofidio + Renfro Unveil Images of the Broad's Expansion
Latticed-Steel Transport Hub Columns
Tremend Designs the Metropolitan Station in Lublin
Artfully Rotating Glass Pillars
Sebine Marcelis Created the Panorama Pillars in Atlanta
Boundless Art Exhibitions
The Frameless Experience Showcases Iconic Art Beyond Reality
Nature-Bounding School Designs
Pelletier de Fontenay and Leclarc Architects Design École du Zénith
Roman Architecture-Themed Pavilions
Pratique and Fanum Design the Forum des Vestiges Pavilion
White Concrete Boxy Museums
Thomas Phifer Designs the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Clear Glazing Compact Residences
IGArchitects Designs the Check Patterned House in Japan
Basketry-Informed University Facades
Heatherwick Studio Designs a Building for Universidad Ean
Immersive Space Exhibitions
‘Beyond the Light’ Immerses Guests in NASA’s Scientific Discoveries
Optimal Energy Research Centers
Zara Hadid Architects Designs the Alisher Navoi Research Center
Lantern-Inspired Soft Lighting
The Fermob Lighting Series Creates a Soft Illuminating Glow
Light Garden Installations
Imaginarium360 is an Immersive Walkthrough Garden Event
Botanical Visitor Pavilions
NU Architectuuratelier and Archipelago Create the Green Ark Pavilion
Industrial Warehouse-Inspired Offices
Carr Designs a New Office Block with Industrial Themes
Illuminated Seated Chamber Skylights
James Turnell Designs the Leading Skyspace in a School
Theatrical Lighting Exhibitions
Apparatus Creates the Red Room to Showcase the Cylinder Series
Lightning-Inspired Artful Exhibitions
Ugo Rondinone Presents the Bright Light Shining Installation
Vibrantly Designed German Lofts
Sabine Marcelis Designs the VitraHaus Loft in Rhein, Germany
Geometric-Shaped Wall Lighting
Maarten De Ceulaer Designs the Impulse Wall Light
Bakery Converted Art Spaces
OMA Converts 1900s Bakery into the Lantern Art Building
Sleek Contemporary Luminaries
Landscape Forms Presents the Outline Collection of Lighting
Bright Renovated Seaside Apartments
Toledano + Architects Renovates an Apartment in Biarritz
Lantern-Topped Sleek Workshops
Cabinet Designs the Gardeners House in a Park in Geneva
Star-Shaped Structural Pavilions
Minsuk Cho Designs the Archipelagic Void Shelter in London
Housing Block Defensive Facades
Bureau des Mésarchitecture Creates Gold Aluminum Shutters
Water Flow-Inspired Art Buildings
MAD Designs the Waterfront Nanhai Arts Center in Guangdong
Metal Sheet-Facade Book Stores
Wutopia Labs Designs the Shanghai Book City with a Dynamic Facade
Lightness-Emphasizing Design Exhibits
The Triennale Milano Opened an Alberto Meda-Honouring Show
Collaborative Sculptural Lighting Series
Feiz Design Studio and Abstracta Join on the Vika Series
Dynamic Living Towered Residences
Triptyque Completes a Residential Tower in Onze22
Gridded Screen Apartment Blocks
Neri&Hu Design a Grid Facade Residential Building in Taiwan
Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings
Civic Architects & VDNVP Elevate a Series of Workspaces
Orchestral-Themed Lighting Series
Milan Iluminación Unveils the Symphony Collection of Lights