Building facades

Give a building presence after dark by lighting its form, not every surface.

A historic building facade lit warmly from below at dusk

The problem

Many buildings disappear at night, or are lit with a few floodlights that flatten the architecture, glare at passers-by and spill light into the sky and neighbouring windows. Lighting an entire facade evenly also uses more energy than it needs to, and it can be hard to get planning consent for a scheme that hasn't considered obtrusive light.

How lighting helps

Start with what makes the building recognisable: its vertical lines, roofline, entrance and materials. Linear grazers bring out texture in stone and brick, washers and floodlights give even light to smooth surfaces, and wall lights and flexible LED pick out edges and details. Keeping beams tight and on the building, and setting a curfew, reduces spill and running costs. We can suggest products and positions from elevations and photos, then check the design with a lighting calculation.

Decide the main viewpoints first and light for those
Light vertical features and edges, and leave large plain areas darker for contrast
Use grazing for textured materials and washing for smooth ones
Aim upward light to stop below the roofline, and use the narrowest beam that does the job
Plan a photocell and curfew from the start, and check the environmental zone with the planning authority

Products that suit this space

Achird

Flexible neon, side-bending · 16 × 17 mm · 6–22 W/m

Acrux

Colour-changing floodlight · 8 W · 1 LED

Acubens

RGB drive-over in-ground light · 216 mm

Adhara

Flexible neon, top-bending · 10 × 10 mm · 4.5–9 W/m

Alcyone

Opal tunable-white linear in-ground line · 318–1461 mm

Aldebaran

Micro linear with optics · to 3000 mm

Alderamin

RGB cylinder wall light · 36 LEDs · 283 mm

Algenib

Rounded wall light · 2350 lm · 220 mm

Algieba

Large in-ground uplight · 216 mm

Algol

Large round RGBW floodlight · 95 W · 54 LEDs

Almach

Round RGBW floodlight · 50 W · 31 LEDs

Alphard

Round floodlight · 23–30 W · 15 LEDs

Alpheratz

Narrow-beam floodlight · 36–80 W · 12 or 18 LEDs

Alshain

RGBW recessed wall light · 210 mm

Altair

Colour-changing linear grazer · 300–1500 mm

Altais

Cylinder wall light · up/down or up only · Ø90 mm

Aludra

Flexible neon, top-bending · 22 × 19 mm · 2–22 W/m

Alzirr

Large RGBW in-ground light · 216 mm

Ankaa

Round RGB floodlight · 27 W · 18 LEDs

Antares

Slim mains linear · 570–1130 mm

Arcturus

Diffused facade line · 520–1520 mm

Atlas

Linear in-ground grazer · 650–1250 mm

Becrux

Colour-changing floodlight · 28–42 W · 7 LEDs

Bellatrix

Micro RGBW linear with optics · 514–1626 mm

Canopus

Articulated linear uplight · 990 mm module

Capella

Wall-mounted linear profile · 850–1695 mm

Caph

RGBW cylinder wall light · Casambi · 283 mm

Castor

Slim RGBW linear · 445–1320 mm

Celaeno

Opal linear in-ground line · 282–1470 mm

Deneb

Surface linear profile · 850–1695 mm

Denebola

Medium in-ground uplight · 112 mm

Diphda

Round floodlight · 45 W · 24 LEDs

Electra

Linear RGB/RGBW in-ground light · 650–1250 mm

Elnath

High-output in-ground floodlight · 260 mm

Eltanin

Large cylinder wall light · up/down or up only · Ø155 mm

Enif

Square wall light · single beam · 141 mm

Errai

RGB blade-effect wall light · Ø90 mm

Fomalhaut

Flexible neon, side-bending · 11.5 × 29 mm · 6–15 W/m

Furud

Flexible neon, side-bending · 22 × 22 mm · 12–22 W/m

Gacrux

Colour-changing floodlight · 12–18 W · 3 LEDs

Kochab

Round floodlight · 50 W · 30 LEDs

Markab

Square wall light · up/down · 216 mm

Mebsuta

Multichip RGBW in-ground light · 7 LEDs

Menkar

Medium floodlight · 12–17 W · 150 × 130 mm

Menkent

Medium stainless floodlight · 18–20 W · 180 × 115 mm

Mira

Slim opal line · 500–1500 mm

Mirzam

Flexible neon, three-side emitting, top-bending · 16 × 17 mm · 9–22 W/m

Muliphein

Flexible neon, top-bending · 2–12 W/m

Naos

Multi-COB floodlight · 50–75 W

Nashira

Flexible neon, side-bending · 9 × 18 mm · 3.5–5 W/m

Navi

Flexible neon, top-bending · 6–22 W/m

Polaris

Compact floodlight · 5 W · 123 × 76 mm

Pollux

Slim 24 V linear · 510–1260 mm

Propus

RGBW in-ground floodlight · 260 mm

Rasalas

Drive-over in-ground floodlight · 150–260 mm

Rasalhague

Large round floodlight · 95 W · 54 LEDs

Regulus

Slim opal RGB/RGBW line · 520–1520 mm

Rigel

Mains linear grazer · 290–1130 mm

Ruchbah

Slim decorative wall light · up/down or up only · 168 mm

Sadalmelik

Flexible neon, side-bending · 11.5 × 21 mm · 6–15 W/m

Sadalsuud

Flexible neon, side-bending · 11.5 × 26 mm · 3.5–5 W/m

Sadr

Square wall light · 2380 lm · 220 mm

Saiph

Slim floodlight · 6–7 W · 79 × 53 mm

Scheat

Large square wall light · single or up/down · 150 mm body

Schedar

Stainless floodlight · 6–7 W · 79 × 72 mm

Segin

Flexible neon, side-bending · 10 × 10 mm · 4.5–9 W/m

Skat

Flexible neon, top-bending · 15.5 × 6 mm · 4–15 W/m

Suhail

High-power floodlight · 900–1200 mm

Sulafat

Recessed wall light · 40° or asymmetric · 210 mm

Tarazed

Tunable-white recessed wall light · 210 mm

Taygeta

Opal RGB linear in-ground line · 332–1482 mm

Tegmine

Adjustable in-ground uplight · 216 mm

Thuban

Cylinder wall light · up/down or up only · Ø120 mm

Vega

Linear facade grazer · 300–1500 mm

Wasat

Medium RGBW in-ground light · 112 mm

Zosma

Compact in-ground uplight · 96 mm

Got a building to light?

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