Foundry wins big at the [d]arc awards 2024
(Global) – UK lighting design studio Foundry wins two accolades for the Thames City project, including the Spaces category and the prestigious Best of the Best.
The 2024 [d]arc awards saw 1518 independent designers take part in voting this year – meaning a total of 19,734 individual votes were cast!
Winners were announced on Thursday 24 April at Fireworks Factory, London, where the [d]arc awards celebrated not only the best peer-voted lighting designs of 2024 but also a decade of celebrating achievements in lighting. The event once again drew big support from the design industry, with just under 600 attendees on the night.
The milestone event was marked in style with a decadent dress code, a variety of food vendors sponsored by SGM, free bars sponsored by Lucent and LEDFlex, and the premiere screening of the [d]arc awards 10th anniversary documentary, with complementary popcorn supplied by Casambi.
The awards were once again supplied by Applelec, this year featuring a special 10th anniversary design and warmer colour temperature to tie in with the theme of decadence.
The full list of category winners includes:
- Structures – Low Budget sponsored by Pharos Controls: Temple of Poseidon, Greece by Eleftheria Deko & Associates Lighting Design
- Structures – High Budget sponsored by Pharos Controls: Vela di Calatrava, Italy by Dolce E Luce Lighting Design Studio
- Places – Low Budget sponsored by Lutron: House in Hayamiya, Japan by Sirius Lighting Office
- Places – High Budget sponsored by Lutron: 2nd Nagoya Sanco Building, Japan by Sirius Lighting Office
- Spaces sponsored by Light Graphix & Best of the Best– Thames City, UK by Foundry from an initial masterplan by Equation Lighting
- Art – Low Budget: Kaleidoscape, Thailand by Ambiguous
- Art – High Budget: Light Cycles Kyoto, Japan by Moment Factory
- Art – Bespoke: Duo, UK by Melek Zeynep Studio with LAB.1 Lighting Design
- Event: Summer Lantern Festival 2024 – Light Dance Moon River, Taiwan by Fundesign Studio
- Kit – Architectural Interior: Nano Tini i – DGA
- Kit – Architectural Exterior: Cu-Pip – Stoane Lighting
- Kit – Decorative: Nebula collection – Patrizia Volpato
- Kit – Technology: Colour Calibration – Tryka
Best of the Best winner, Thames City, is a major revitalisation of 10 acres of former industrial land in London’s Nine Elms area. The project introduces a landmark, residential-led, mixed-use development featuring a network of landscaped courtyards, podium gardens, and an expansive linear park. Designed to support active lifestyles and community wellbeing.
The lighting strategy emphasises the natural textures, seasonal colours, and movements of the environment, encouraging visitors to engage with the surroundings. Much of the lighting is positioned at low heights to create an intimate atmosphere, with key circulation routes lit via columns and highlighted stonework and foliage, ensuring both functionality and visual enhancement after dark.
Another key highlight of the evening was the installation competition, which saw manufacturers create sustainable and engaging light art installations. Voting for the best installation will take place online this week.
Installations from the night include:
Rako Controls & AE7 – The Voyage So Far
ATEA & Arup – Ten Years in Neon
Unibox & Buro Happold – The Choice
Radiant Architectural Lighting & dpa lighting consultants – Piece of Cake
Kingfisher & Foster + Partners – Puzzle
Signify & Hoare Lea – [d]ecastrike
Lutron & Jan Erika – X
formalighting & Michael Grubb Studio – TEN-tacles
Tryka & Nulty – Pendula
Vivalyte & Speirs Major Light Architecture – Power of Ten
Artemide & WSP – Reflexions
Awards party attendees are encouraged to keep an eye on their inboxes this week for a voting email.
