WAC Group Appoints Executive Director of APAC Product Marketing
(USA) – WAC Group has announced the appointment of John Jiang as the new Executive Director of APAC (Asia-Pacific) Product Marketing. Through strong relationships with global specification firms, he has executed hundreds of world-class projects, making him well-attuned to what specifiers look for in architectural-grade lighting.
Starting with technical support, lighting design, and field application engineering, Jiang has had a clearly defined, growing career path across sales representative, regional sales manager, national specification director, and eventually general manager of China, for both Zumtobel and Thorn. He has extensive experience in sales and marketing management, comprehensive product knowledge in architectural-grade lighting, an international vision, and most importantly, excellent team leadership.
According to Thomas Wang, WAC Group’s Head of Global Development: “Light and Building 2026 in Germany was just the introduction; we know having product alignment with a specifier’s design intent is where the rubber meets the road and where the artistry truly happens. We look forward to seeing how John’s wealth of abilities and skillset can help show our customers that WAC Group and WAC Architectural are ready for the world stage.”
Jiang’s role with the WAC Group will be highly connected to growth initiatives for the WAC Architectural specification-oriented brand. He will also serve as the bridge to international marketing support for Schonbek, its world-renowned crystal lighting brand, to ensure complete alignment with WAC’s Global branding and messaging. He will also oversee marketing teams in China and Thailand, as well as the APAC technical support team for the WAC Group.
Jiang offers a strong pedigree, graduating from Fudan University with a degree in Lighting Design, an MBA from Manchester University in the United Kingdom, and a 20-year career with Zumtobel Group.
Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple, India
The Arulmigu Subramaniya Swamy Temple in Tiruchendur, situated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, stands as a breath-taking masterpiece of Dravidian coastal architecture. With a rich history spanning more than 2,000 years, this sacred shrine serves as a monumental tribute to Lord Murugan’s victory over the demon king Surapadman.
According to sacred legend, following his triumphant battle, Murugan wished to worship his father, Lord Shiva, and summoned the divine architect Mayan to construct this holy sanctuary directly on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. The temple’s legacy is defined by an extraordinary resilience; it survived a 17th-century occupation by the Dutch East India Company – which included the legendary theft and subsequent miraculous recovery of the deity’s idol from the ocean – and more recently emerged largely untouched by the devastating 2004 Tsunami, forever cementing its reputation as a site of profound divine protection.
Architecturally, the temple holds a unique position among the Arupadai Veedu (the six sacred abodes of Murugan) as the only shrine located on the coast rather than a hilltop. The massive complex uniquely faces south and is defined by its soaring, 137-to-140-foot western Raja Gopuram (raja tower). This magnificent nine-tiered entrance tower is adorned with nine sacred copper kalasams (pitchers); its rare western orientation deliberately deviates from the traditional eastern format to gracefully accommodate the temple’s immediate proximity to the sea. A true engineering marvel, the interior features the expansive Sivili Mandapam – a grand pillared hall housing 124 intricately carved columns – alongside vast prakarams (corridors), the sacred Azhikinaru (well), and a Garbha Graha (sanctum sanctorum) carved into a cave-like recess that creates a dramatic, spiritual transition from the bright coastal sun to a space of intimate depth.
As this ancient structure rests directly upon coastal sand dunes, modern conservation efforts must constantly balance structural engineering with heritage preservation. The foundation continuously battles harsh marine environments, including saline sea spray, coastal winds, and hydrodynamic forces, requiring advanced geo-structural surveys and specialised obstruction walls to halt coastal erosion. To address these challenges, the temple has undergone a massive ₹300 crore mega-renovation project funded jointly by the state and private donors. Every aspect of these Tiruppani (extensive restoration and preservation works) is meticulously supervised to ensure strict compliance with ancient Agama shastra (scripture of temple science), maintaining the temple’s absolute architectural and historical integrity. To sustainably prepare the site for the grand Kumbabhishekam (re-consecration ritual), heavy modern amenities – such as advanced queue management systems, resting shelters, and water treatment plants – have been strategically integrated on the outer periphery, leaving the ancient heritage core untouched and beautifully preserved for generations to come.
The journey to redefine the temple’s nighttime identity began when the appointed architectural firm, Conservation Mainstream, recognised the critical need for a specialised lighting intervention. The firm’s principals, Aishwarya KV and Keerthana Murali, possessed a deep appreciation for the transformative power of light, having studied a dedicated lighting elective during their university years under Dr. Amardeep M. Dugar of Lighting Research and Design. This foundational education instilled in them a keen understanding of how lighting dictates architectural perception, prompting them to reconnect with their former mentor to collaborate on this sacred site. Upon assessment, the team faced a dual challenge: the existing lighting relies on outdated tubular battens that cast a harsh, distracting glare, while simultaneously flattening the exquisite, three-dimensional details of the ancient stone carvings and pillars.
Compounding the aesthetic issues were stringent heritage building regulations that strictly prohibited the installation of new electrical formwork or any destructive mounting methods on the historic fabric. To navigate these constraints, the architects and the lighting design team united for an exhaustive, hands-on site survey to meticulously map the temple’s structural nuances. This close collaboration yielded an ingenious, non-invasive solution. Rather than altering the ancient stone, the team decided to utilise the temple’s existing cable-tray framework as the foundational infrastructure for mounting the new luminaires – proving that rigorous heritage preservation and modern lighting innovation can seamlessly coexist.
Designing a lighting scheme required a delicate touch to manage three core elements: preserving the temple’s historic atmosphere, providing clear general illumination, and accentuating the architectural artistry. As the temple is constructed from dark granite and sandstone, its interior spaces are inherently dim. This pervasive darkness is not a design flaw, but rather an intentional hallmark of traditional South Indian Hindu temple architecture that evokes deep spiritual introspection; therefore, preserving this characteristic was paramount. However, because the temple welcomes millions of devotees annually, establishing a baseline level of general illumination was absolutely essential for visitor safety, visibility, and accessibility. The final challenge lay in effectively highlighting the intricately carved pillars and walls, which had previously been obscured by shadows or flattened by glare.
To reconcile the need for visitor safety with the preservation of the temple’s sacred, shadowed character, the design team turned to detailed lighting simulations. The data revealed an elegant methodology: by simultaneously illuminating both the ceiling and the floor, the scheme could deliver an even, volumetric distribution of light. This technique successfully grants devotees enough ambient illumination to safely navigate the vast corridors without washing out or disrupting the temple’s revered “dark” essence.
Furthermore, the design intentionally mirrors the natural daytime transition into the temple; illumination levels are engineered to gradually reduce from the entrance toward the inner sanctums, easing the visual adaptation from the blinding coastal sun to spaces of intimate depth. Given the highly corrosive, saline nature of the immediate coastal environment, standard architectural hardware was insufficient – some luminaires required specialised, marine-grade IP-ratings to ensure long-term durability against the elements.
Executing this vision required a highly tailored, non-invasive hardware configuration mounted entirely to the existing cable trays: A combination of LED linear downlights and unified up-downlights (Regent Crest 28W and 28W+28W) equipped with advanced low-glare optics were deployed to wash the floors and ceilings with soft, balanced, volumetric light.
Adjustable surface spotlights (Regent Zava 12W and 25W) were integrated onto the exact same cable-tray infrastructure, allowing the design team to add architectural highlighting, casting precise, directional focus onto the historic stone carvings and pillars.
Following extensive on-site mockups, a warm color temperature of 3000K was selected as the optimal spectrum. This specific warmth beautifully enriches the gray tones of the historic stonework, revealing its rich, three-dimensional textures and artistic reliefs without feeling artificially bright.
The design of this temple serves as a definitive masterclass in how darkness and lighting can coexist to honour the sacred. By shifting away from flat, high-glare conventional fixtures and embracing a non-invasive, custom-engineered approach, the design successfully bridges two seemingly contradictory worlds. It provides the necessary clarity and volumetric balance required to safely shepherd millions of modern pilgrims through the vast complex, yet it fiercely guards the intentional, deep-seated shadows that have defined South Indian temple architecture for millennia.
Ultimately, this project proves that heritage preservation does not mean eschewing modern innovation; rather, it demands a deeper synergy between architectural history and specialised design. Through the delicate interplay of low-glare optics, precise directional spotlighting, and a warm 3000K colour spectrum, the temple’s magnificent 124 pillars and ancient reliefs are finally allowed to step into the light, while the soul of the temple remains beautifully, timelessly enshrouded in its sacred darkness.
Project Credits:
Lighting Design: Lighting Research & Design, India
Conservation Architects: Conservation Mainstream, India
Luminaire Supply & Installation Support: Regent Lighting
The Past of the Future, Quebec, Canada
Acclaim Lighting's Flex Tube adds an illuminated element to The Past of the Future - an artistic new sculpture that stands outside Quebec's Roberval Courthouse.
The renovation of the Roberval Courthouse (Palais de justice de Roberval) in Quebec got off to a rough start, with a fire destroying much of the historic building in May 2021. After the ashes were cleared, construction had to begin again to create a new structure. However, the project ultimately ended on a high note by winning the prestigious 2026 Prix d’excellence en architecture from the Order of Architects of Québec.
In July 2025, the renovation received additional attention and accolades with the installation of a magnificent art sculpture in the courthouse square known as The Past of the Future. Created and named by Canadian artist Louise deLorme, the sculpture has become a focal point of the renovation, being readily visible from inside the courthouse, as well as from pedestrian and bike paths around the square, and even from the lake.
The artwork features flexible integrated LED tube lighting from Acclaim Lighting that responds to ambient shifts in luminosity, creating a visual link between natural light, architecture, and the surrounding environment until the early hours of the morning.
The Roberval Courthouse is located in the heart of the historic downtown area. It houses the Superior Court and the Court of Quebec, including civil, criminal, youth and small claims divisions.
A major challenge of the $116million project was restoring the fragile, century-old building while modernising the judicial spaces and integrating a substantial expansion. The new design had to address rigid security requirements while still preserving the architectural integrity of the existing structure. Locally sourced granite, aluminium and glass were chosen for the exterior to bridge together the historic and contemporary structures.
“I aimed for this sculpture to create a contemplative and experiential atmosphere that would shift beautifully between day and night,” said deLorme. “The site itself offered me many possibilities to engage with the public and foster a sense of belonging and civic pride, aligning with the city’s cultural objectives.”
DeLorme intentionally chose two nearly identical steel elements for the installation that she believes symbolises the interaction that inherently takes place in the judicial process. Due to their proximity, they reflect each other, creating a reflection of a reflection and changing appearance depending on the angle from which they are viewed. The sheer size of the pieces is meant to offer a sense of strength and solidity, while immediately commanding attention, much like the stones of Stonehenge and the menhirs of Carnac.
“The Past of the Future is meant to explore themes of human perception, the continuity of time, and the transition between heritage and modern life,” added deLorme. “It treats each day as a continuous performance stretching from dawn to dusk.”
Each weighing in at an impressive 8,000 pounds, the custom stainless-steel sculptures, including the framework, stand more than 30ft high and measure more than 11x4ft wide. They were fabricated with the help of Workshop in Victoriaville using a precise 1:20-scale model, and the metal was laser-cut, robotically and hand-soldered, and beautifully finished with brushed and polished surfaces.
Choosing just the right light for the artwork was critical to the artist, who explained that light became part of the unified artistic concept that blended the two sculptural elements together. Rather than treating the light as a mere afterthought or utilitarian necessity, deLorme integrated tubular LED lights into the design.
“At first the artist wanted to use some type of projector, but she then realised the effect would not have been as dramatic as the LED lights reflecting off the shiny surface,” said Patrick Nadjarians, Director of Marketing for Acclaim Lighting.
It was the Montreal-based lighting firm of EDP that introduced deLorme to the Acclaim FlexTube 4000 luminaire and sold her on the product’s flexibility, energy efficiency, and ease of installation. EDP is a prominent lighting, control and electrical products agency known for providing high-performance, energy-efficient solutions for commercial, architectural, institutional and industrial projects.
“It was the perfect product for this installation,” said Nadjarians. “The artist wanted something that was easy to conceal and could be embedded directly into the brushed surface of the 30ft high sculpture. Flex Tube proved ideal for that purpose because of its flexible low profile, which makes it easy to install in a shallow space. And while flexibility was important for installation, even more appealing to the artist was the continuous line aspect and size of the flex tube.”
DeLorme was clear that the chosen lighting product had to be flexible, yet durable, due to the extreme weather conditions in the northern region of Quebec that were exacerbated by the location of the sculpture on the banks of the immense basin of St-Jean.
The Flex Tube product is encased in protective materials to offer superior weather resistance and mechanical protection. Yet, the side-emitting, outdoor-rated tube is fully bendable with a flexible silicone jacket that can bend to a diameter as small as 4.8 inches and can be cut every 4 inches.
IP68-rated, UV-coated, saltwater-resistant and submersible to 3ft, Flex Tube Pixel SE has a highly durable, impact-resistant, PVC body that can be ordered to length to suit project requirements for nearly any customized lighting application.
“Its grazing illumination creates a seamless canvas of reflection on the facing surfaces of the other sculpture to further emphasise the artist’s vision to create a symbiotic relationship between the two structures,” said Nadjarians.
As for deLorme’s desire for an easy-to-stall lighting solution, the electrical connection for the Acclaim LED Fixture was completed in less than an hour.
According to deLorme, the sculpture has received very complimentary feedback from the people of Roberval. She credits the lighting for adding to that positive experience.
“The light refracting through the polished surfaces offers the work multiple interpretive possibilities,” said deLorme. “Moving inside and around the sculptures, the perception shifts continuously, as does the relationship with light, turning the work into a physical experience even before a visual one. At night, an interplay of light and shadows highlights the transition between the two sculptures. The use of light as a sculptural material in this project invites a very different sensory experience.”
Beyond Illumination: What Museum Lighting Can Teach Urban Lighting Master Plans
In her career as both an urban and architectural lighting designer Dr. Elham Souri has worked on large-scale city masterplans and museum and exhibition projects. Here, she examines what these two contrasting sectors can learn from each other when it comes to lighting application.
For much of my career, I worked on lighting masterplans for cities and public spaces, including large urban environments like Tehran, smaller cities, parks, riverside areas, and, more recently, the lighting masterplan for Coburg in Germany. The scale and context varied, but the questions were often the same: which buildings should be illuminated? Which streets matter? How can light support orientation, identity, and safety after dark?
Later, I began working on museum and exhibition lighting. At first, I assumed I was simply moving from one scale to another, from cities to buildings and from public spaces to exhibition rooms. I was wrong. The real difference was not the scale. It was where the design process began.
Where the Design Process Begins
In many urban lighting projects, the first conversations move quickly towards what should be illuminated. Important buildings are listed, routes are identified, and technical requirements are discussed. In the museum projects I worked on, lighting did not begin with a blank page. The exhibition designers had already defined how visitors should move through the space, what they should encounter first, where they should slow down, and how the content should unfold. The lighting concept did not establish that story. It responded to and reinforced it.
This became clear to me while working on the Children's Museum at Louvre Abu Dhabi. The visitor journey, including the sequence of spaces, the hierarchy of exhibits, and the moments of interaction, had already been developed before the lighting design began. Our task was not to invent that journey, but to make it legible through light and shadow. Some objects needed to become visually prominent immediately. Others were meant to stay quiet and emerge only later. Some areas needed higher contrast to create focus, while others needed softer transitions to feelopen and inviting.
If everything had been lit equally, that hierarchy would have vanished. Visitors would have entered a space where every object demanded the same attention, with no sequence, no discovery, and nothing to draw a child towards one exhibit rather than another. Instead, keeping some areas quieter and allowing selected surfaces to emerge from the surrounding darkness helped the designed sequence unfold as intended. That is the distinction that matters to me: lighting does not create the content. It helps visitors experience the relationships already built into it.
I saw the same pattern on other projects, including the Museum of the Future, Arabian Journeys and the Archäologische Staatssammlung München. The subjects, scales, and atmospheres were different, but the same principle applied: the exhibition concept comes first, and the lighting team has to understand it before the lighting can support it.
Working this way changed how I look at urban lighting master plans.
From Visitor Journey to Urban Experience
Cities are not museums. They are more complex, less controlled, and used by different people for different reasons. Their identity is shaped over time rather than designed by a single team, and no single route defines how they are used. But cities still contain sequences, relationships, and moments of discovery. People do not experience a city as a set of isolated façades. They walk from one place to another, crossing streets, entering squares, noticing a tower in the distance, stopping at a shop, meeting someone near a fountain, or cutting through a side street. Some places matter because of their history; others matter because of everyday use.
A lighting master plan should therefore not start by asking which individual elements deserve light. It should start by asking how these places connect and how people actually move through them.
Meaning, Connection and Continuity
That question shaped our work on the Coburg master plan. We studied historical records alongside related urban development plans and overarching planning strategies. A public project blog allowed residents to comment throughout the planning process, and we walked through the city centre with interested citizens, listening to what different places meant to them and how they used and remembered them.
The aim was not to produce a list of important buildings, but to understand which places were meaningful to the people who lived there. Some of that meaning was visible in the architecture and history. Some of it only surfaced through conversation and observation. A place that looks modest on a plan can be an essential meeting point. A route that seems secondary can be the one people use every day, connecting the parts of the city that matter most.
That kind of understanding changes lighting decisions. It determines where brightness is needed, where contrast should be softened, where a connection between two places should be strengthened, and where darkness should be protected rather than eliminated. It also helps avoid a familiar weakness in urban lighting: individual landmarks may be beautifully illuminated yet remain visually disconnected from everything around them.
In Ghent[1], I experienced the opposite. No single illuminated building defined the experience. What impressed me was how the city stayed visually connected as I moved through it at night. Streets, squares, bridges, and landmarks did not read as separate lighting projects. One view led naturally into the next. Some buildings were clearly more prominent, but the spaces around them still had enough presence to keep the experience continuous.
Even as a visitor, I was able to form a clear mental image of the city's structure after dark. It reminded me of museum lighting, not because Ghent was designed like an exhibition, but because its lighting respected relationships between places instead of treating each one in isolation.
Darkness as Part of the Strategy
That same hierarchy has a direct sustainability benefit. When not everything needs equal visual weight, not everything needs equal brightness. Some areas can stay subdued. Some façades do not need full illumination. Certain elements can be emphasised selectively while others remain in shadow.
This is not only a question of reducing energy use. It also improves visual clarity and spatial quality. Excessive, uniform brightness tends to weaken orientation rather than support it. It flattens contrast, removes depth, and makes it harder to understand what actually matters.
Museum lighting taught me to treat darkness as a design element, not as a deficiency to correct. Darkness can separate, frame, protect, and prepare the eye for the next illuminated moment. That principle belongs in urban lighting just as much as it does in a gallery.
A lighting master plan still needs inventories, technical criteria, and target illuminance levels. But those should not be the starting point. The harder questions come first: How do people move through this city? Which places matter to them? What relationships should become clearer? What should stay quiet?
That is the lesson museum lighting brought back into my urban work. I now begin by understanding how people experience the city and by clarifying the relationships, hierarchy, and sequence that light should make legible. The lighting strategy follows from that, not the other way around.
The scale changes, from a single gallery to an entire city. The starting point should not.
[1] Ghent’s Light Plan, first initiated in 1999 and later expanded citywide in 2009
Filix Lighting acquired by Luminii
(USA / Europe) – The latest company to join the Luminii portfolio, Croatian manufacturer Filix Lighting has been acquired by the North American architectural lighting company.
Founded in 1990, Filix Lighting has built a reputation for delivering innovative urban, exterior, and underwater lighting solutions that help architects, lighting designers, and cities bring ambitious projects to life.
Known for depth in interior and architectural lighting, Luminii brings expertise in applications where refined detail, tunable performance, and design flexibility are critical.
The partnership brings together two organisations that share a commitment to architectural lighting excellence, technical innovation, and customer-focused design. Together, the two brands can support projects with a greater continuity, from façades, landscapes, urban environments, and beyond, to interior spaces and architectural details.
“Design intent shouldn’t stop at the building envelope. The lighting experience should carry the same vision from the first approach to the final interior detail,” said Amy Bonder, Chief Commercial Officer for Luminii.
Following the acquisition, Filix has reiterated that its brand, products, customer relationships, and commitment to the US, European, and Middle Eastern markets remains unchanged. The acquisition will offer greater resources to the brand to support product innovation and long-term growth, and expanded architectural lighting experstise.
The move is the latest in a string of acquisitions from Luminii, following Alva Lighting earlier this year, Glint Lighting in 2024, and Precision Lighting and RCL in 2021.
www.filixlighting.com
www.luminii.com
LEDucation opens Call for Speakers for 2027 event
(USA) – LEDucation is now accepting speaker proposals for its expanded educational programme for 2027. The conference will feature virtual sessions on 8-9 April, followed by in-person presentations during the three-day LEDucation event on 13-15 April at the New York Hilton Midtown.
“With LEDucation 2027 expanding to three days, attendees will have more opportunities than ever to gain industry knowledge, connect, and earn continuing education credits,” said Presentations Co-Chair Craig Fox. “The additional day allows us to deliver an even broader range of educational content and perspectives.”
Presentations Co-Chair Shaun Fillion added: “With an expanded programme, we are especially eager to welcome fresh voices, innovative ideas, and practical insights. We encourage lighting professionals, designers, architects, engineers, and industry partners to submit proposals that will inspire meaningful conversations and provide valuable takeaways for our attendees.”
Organisers welcome proposals from both first-time and returning presenters. Sessions should address timely issues and emerging trends within the lighting industry through educational, non-commercial presentations. Topics may include emerging technologies, best practices, innovative design strategies, and real-world case studies.
LEDucation is seeking presentations on the following topics:
- Sustainability and material transparency
- Codes and compliance issues
- Lighting for health and wellbeing
- Lighting design tools, communication, metrics, and methodologies
- The business of lighting in different market sectors
- Emerging LED, OLED, and controls technologies
- Case studies of lighting design applications.
- Lighting design and specification topics
Prospective presenters are encouraged to review presentations from previous conferences to better understand the scope, format, and calibre of educational content featured at LEDucation.
To preserve the educational integrity of the conference, organisers have advised that proposals from marketing firms, third-party lead generation organisations, life coaches, business coaches, motivational speakers, or keynote speakers will not be considered.
By presenting at LEDucation 2027, speakers will help shape meaningful conversations and contribute to one of the lighting industry's most respected educational programmes.
The deadline for submissions for the programme is 15 September, 2026. More information can be found online at www.leducation.org/call-for-speakers
Oculus Light Studio acquires CD+M Lighting Design Group Americas
(USA) – Los Angeles-based Oculus Light Studio has announced the acquisition of the Americas division of CD+M Lighting Design Group, initially founded in 1986 as City Design Group.
With a rich portfolio of award-winning projects spanning across a combined four decades the designers at both Oculus and CD+M have contributed their expertise across the hospitality, retail, commercial, leisure, healthcare, and higher education sectors, amongst many others. This strategic partnership serves to strengthen the combined design acumen and creativity of both firms to expand its reach throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Archit Jain, Principal at Oculus Light Studio, said: “Bringing together the mutual talents of our two firms will unlock new opportunities for us to share unique skill sets and further develop our team’s professional capabilities. We are excited to integrate CD+M’s legacy of theatrical and architectural work with our own approaches to the field of lighting design.”
In addition to strengthening its presence in the Americas, Oculus Light Studio also intends to collaborate with the international division of CD+M to jointly pursue work in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. CD+M launched its MENA operations as a separately licensed studio in the UAE in 2007, and now has designers and technical teams based in Dubai, Cairo, and Milan.
Scott Hatton, also a Principal at Oculus Light Studio, added: “Each firm brings different perspectives on the practice of lighting design, both nationally and worldwide. We anticipate that this new relationship will position us to better respond to changing trends in the market and emerging technologies within the design and construction community, globally.”
Based in Atlanta, CD+M Lighting Design Group Managing Principal Ted Ferreira will continue to serve in a business development capacity in the combined practice, supporting both domestic and international clients.
www.oculuslightstudio.com
www.cdmlight.com
Zumtobel Group receives EcoVadis Platinum Rating
(UK) – The Zumtobel Group has been awarded the EcoVadis Platinum medal – the highest distinction from the independent sustainability rating platform – for the first time.
The Group has consistently been evaluated by EcoVadis since 2016, and has over the years progressed from Silver to Gold. By achieving Platinum status, Zumtobel Group now ranks among the top 1% of all companies assessed by the platform. The continuous improvement in the overall score reflects the lighting group’s sustainable development.
“The EcoVadis Platinum rating confirms the Zumtobel Group's consistently pursued path: for us, sustainability is not a single project, but an integral part of our business,” says Alfred Felder, CEO, Zumtobel Group. “This success is only possible thanks to the joint commitment of our teams and the continuous implementation of our sustainability strategy. At the same time, we see this award as an incentive to continue advancing our ambitions – in the interests of our customers and partners, our employees and the environment.”
Throughout its entire value chain, Zumtobel Group is implementing concrete measures with quantitative targets as part of its sustainability strategy – consisting of the Net-Zero, Circular Economy, and Partner of Choice goals. Regulatory frameworks, such as the ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards), under which the Zumtobel Group reports on its progress in sustainability, are a significant catalyst for creating transparency.
Founded in 2007, the independent sustainability rating platform EcoVadis has since been assessing companies’ performance in the areas of the environment, labour and human rights, sustainable procurement and ethics. The ratings are based on international sustainability standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative, the United Nations Global Compact and ISO 26000. More than 175,000 companies from over 180 countries have already been assessed by EcoVadis.
New Managing Associate Principal at Available Light Raleigh
(USA) – Available Light has announced the promotion of Alex Fabozzi to Managing Associate Principal of its Raleigh, North Carolina studio.
“From the moment Alex joined the team in our New York studio, it was clear that his past experience in the entertainment industry was going to be a terrific engine for driving success at Available Light,” said Steven Rosen, CEO and Founder of Available Light. “As an excellent designer, mentor, software developer, business development aficionado, and more, Alex has contributed great things to our firm. When offered the opportunity to make the next career step by taking on the Raleigh studio, he did not flinch.”
Since joining Available Light in 2017, Fabozzi has had an impact on a wide range of diverse and successful projects. He has contributed to many notable museum exhibition and architectural projects, including the Milken Center for the Advancement of the American Dream, the International Spy Museum, Penn State University West 1 & 2 Engineering Buildings, La Nube STEAM Discovery Center, the renovation of Legislature Plaza in Nashville, and the Beth Israel Deaconess New Inpatient Building. Through these projects, Fabozzi has become one of the studio’s most trusted leaders.
“My family and I are thrilled about our move to Raleigh,” said Fabozzi. “I am excited to take on this new challenge, and look forward to building many new relationships in the southeast. The fantastic work we have done here is only the beginning.”
Flos appoints new CEO
(Italy) – Flos has announced the appointment of Pablo Illueca as its new Chief Executive Officer.
Having joined Flos in 2012 following extensive experience in the Automotive and Steel & Iron sectors, Illueca has held positions of increasing responsibility over time, progressing to senior leadership roles within the Group.
His journey at Flos began at Antares, a Valencia-based Group company specialising in high-end architectural lighting, and manufacturer of the Flos Architectural collection. He subsequently also took on the role of General Manager for the professional segment at subsidiary Flos US, making a significant contribution to the company’s development and success in the North American market.
In 2020, Illueca was appointed CEO of Antares. In this role, he distinguished himself through his expertise, strategic vision, and leadership, establishing himself as a key figure within the Flos Group at an international level.
Since 2022, Illueca has also served as Flos ESG Ambassador, making a consistent and tangible contribution to strengthening sustainability and social responsibility policies within the Flos B&B Italia Group.
In his new role, in line with the strategies of the Flos B&B Italia Group, led by Piero Gandini, Illueca will be responsible for leading Flos into a new phase of growth, in continuity with the brand’s strong identity, and its legacy of excellence in the world of design and lighting.
Of the appointment, Piero Gandini, Executive Chairman and Artistic Supervisor of the Flos B&B Italia Group, commented: “Pablo’s appointment as CEO of Flos is the natural outcome of the expertise, professionalism, and dedication to the brand he has demonstrated over the years. It gives me great pleasure to see him leading Flos through the next phase of evolution and growth.
“Pablo has a deep understanding of the company and the lighting industry, and has consistently proved outstanding leadership skills, as well as a deep understanding of our sector. I am confident that he will successfully navigate future challenges, further strengthening Flos’s position as a global leader in the world of design and lighting.”
www.flos.com
www.flosbebitaliagroup.com
Debut EuroShop Middle East postponed until 2027
(UAE) – The premiere of EuroShop Middle East in Dubai has been postponed until October 2027, organisers have announced.
The decision was made by Messe Düsseldorf and the Messe Düsseldorf Gulf Office to ensure the best possible environment for exhibitors, partners, and visitors. The postponement is intended to create optimal conditions for the successful launch of the new retail platform in the Middle East and to provide the international EuroShop community with stable and reliable framework conditions as well as the high standards associated with the international EuroShop portfolio. The teams at Messe Düsseldorf and the Messe Düsseldorf Gulf Office continue to work intensively on preparations for the event.
“EuroShop Middle East is a project of strategic importance to us and a significant step for the international further development of the EuroShop portfolio. This is precisely why we wish to realise the event in an environment that offers our exhibitors, partners and visitors maximum planning safety and optimal conditions for successful business,” explains Petra Cullmann, Executive Director Messe Düsseldorf. “We are convinced the postponement is the right step to make the event a success long term.”
EuroShop Middle East will now take place on 25-27 October 2027.
[d]arc discussions: Yorkshire Roses with Artin Light, TLWS, and Jamie House
https://vimeo.com/1203396224?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
In this edition of [d]arc discussions, Luke Artingstall, Founder and Director of Artin Light, Stuart Alexander, Founder of TLWS, and artist Jamie House talk to arc editor Matt Waring about the collaborative design process behind a new audiovisual installation in Barnsley, Yorkshire. Called the Yorkshire Roses, the project saw Artingstall, Alexander, and House work together to create an immersive, multi-sensory experience centred around three vast, artistic "Rose" structures.
During the conversation, the trio discuss the original concepts, how the design came together, the in-depth community consultations that took place, and how these consultations ultimately proved integral in shaping the design into something that the whole town could feel proud of.
Read more about this project in issue #152 of arc magazine here: https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/arc_152/78
www.artinlight.co.uk
www.tlws.studio
www.micantia.studio
Credits
Filmed and edited by [d]arc media
Photography: Adam Roberts
Additional video footage: Jamie House
Music: FMS Team (courtesy of www.free-stock-music.com)
Project Credits
Lighting Design: Artin Light
Content Creation: TLWS
Visual Artist: Jamie House
Sound Design: Matthew Williams, Hazard Media
Engineering: Stage One
Technical Production: DZA Technical