Light my fire

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Two icons of Dubai’s Jumeirah skyline both lit by Speirs and Majors Associates.

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Jonathan Speirs.

World-renowned architectural lighting design firm Speirs & Major Associates has been responsible for lighting some of the region's most iconic buildings, from the Burj Al Arab to Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque, and is rumoured to have secured the contract to light the world's tallest structure, the Burj Dubai. S&S recently caught up with UK-based company founders and directors Jonathan Speirs and Mark Major.

Sound & Stage: You are both frequent visitors to the GCC and have first-hand experience working in this region. How does working here compare to more established markets such as Europe?

Jonathan Speirs: A large percentage of potential clients in the Middle East seem to believe that lighting a building simply involves installing a bunch of floodlights around its exterior. The reality is that there are a range of factors you must consider if you want the end-result to be extraordinary. But that takes time, and time is one thing you don't have in this region, because of the sheer rate of development.

Luckily, the bulk of our clients appreciate the effort that it takes to create something out of the ordinary. The greater challenge lies in preaching to the unconverted.

Sound & Stage: Do many developers in the Middle East prioritise lighting when it comes to designing a building?

JS: Some do, but a lot don't. We're working with [property developers] Emaar in Dubai and Aldar in Abu Dhabi which have been positive experiences to date.

Mark Major: We encounter issues here we did in Europe 20 years ago. Now in Europe we tend to work on a project from the conceptual stages. It builds some level of accountability into the various stages of development to ensure there are no mistakes made along the way.

JS: The secret to creating a beautiful looking building is all to do with layering. Various elements go into creating an identity, including the lighting.

Sound & Stage: You're developing the lighting design for Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque. How did you get involved in that project?

JS: We got involved with the architects after the completion of the concrete sub-structure, which meant we played a role in shaping the final vision for the building. We are quietly confident we will see something spectacular at the end of the day.

Sound & Stage: Can you explain the concept behind the lighting design?

JS: We've tried to be respectful to the building but we're also trying to ‘tell a story'. By day, the exterior is a brilliant white and it's exquisite, but by night, we wanted to create something of beauty. The lunar cycle is the inspiration for the lighting design. On a full-moon evening the building will be lit by a brilliant white light, but when there's no moon, it will be immersed in a very deep blue. Every second night, as the moon waxes and wanes, we're going to subtly alter the colour depending on the time of lunar cycle. One of the concept proposals that has been accepted is a texture on the domes and the minarets of the building, which give the appearance of clouds passing over the building.

MM: Great architectural design exploits the attributes of natural light, changing the appearance of a particular building depending on the time of the day. But you often find when it comes to lighting these buildings the typical approach is not very dynamic. They get turned into big lifeless monuments.

Our belief is that iconic buildings such as the Grand Mosque should have an element of mystery to them.

Sound & Stage: In last month's issue, Patrick Woodroffe spoke about taking inspiration from architectural lighting in his stage and theatre lighting projects. Do you ever borrow ideas from these sectors in turn?

JS: Both of us are inspired by stage lighting. If you look at some of our key projects over the years you'll see that we take inspiration from live event lighting design, particularly rock ‘n roll concerts.

MM: I would like to think our work has also had a positive influence on designers working in the theatre and live events fields. I mean we're not like [architect and U2 production designer] Mark Fischer who has crossed over into that world entirely, but I do like to think we inject a certain dynamic into lighting environments that might be too theatrical or lack subtlety for want of a better description.

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