BBC Scotland HQ wins IALD award

23.06.09

NEW YORK CITY, NY USA, 6 MAY 2009
Nineteen winning projects representing projects from 11 countries comprise the winners of the 26th Annual International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) International Lighting Design Awards Winners, recognized at a presentation held 6 May at the Sheraton NYC Hotel & Towers in New York City, NY USA.

Accepting the IALD Award of Merit for BBC SCOTLAND was Mark Major, IALD, of Speirs & Major Associates. The lighting of BBC Scotland was conceived as part of a branding exercise to symbolize the values of the BBC as a creative organization and create a new landmark in Glasgow’s regenerated docklands. The solution aims to minimize energy use through the use of interior lighting to create the external image while facilitating flexibility through programming. Where external lighting is employed, energy use is minimized through the use of LEDs.

The beauty of this lighting design project is that it uses simple methods, colored exterior lights, standard interior lights and painted walls to give the building identity at night,” one IALD award judge remarked. “This design is innovative because it shows that simple methods can have a powerful influence on a building’s exterior appearance.” The final scheme not only provides a dynamic identity for the building, but also a lighting scheme that serves to reinforce the cultural values of one of the world’s most respected broadcasters.

The IALD Lighting Design Awards program, established in 1983, honors lighting projects that display high aesthetic achievement backed by technical expertise. Additionally, projects can also be submitted for consideration in the sustainable design award category, which means the project undergoes an additional round of judging keyed solely to the fulfillment of sustainable design principles. A panel of award-winning lighting designers, architects and interior designers review the projects.

Click to view the International Association of Lighting Designers site.