Dubai, UAE: Dubai’s Box Park, the Banana Island Resort by Anantara in Qatar, and Tehran’s Arg Center are among the region’s most outstanding architectural lighting projects that will contest for the ultimate accolade at the 3rd annual Light Middle East Awards next week in Dubai.
The three projects are among a shortlist of 32 finalists from more than 116 submissions throughout the Middle East, with the 30 per cent year-on-year growth in entries underlining the popularity of the region’s most respected awards event for lighting design community.
The Light Middle East 2015 Awards comprises ten categories – seven project and three product categories – and will be celebrated at a gala dinner ceremony on the final day of the Light Middle East trade show, which takes place from 6-8 October at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, the organiser of Light Middle East and the Light Middle East Awards, said: “The Light Middle East Awards was established to highlight and celebrate the vision, creativity, ingenuity, sustainability, and cultural identity of the Middle East’s most outstanding lighting design projects.”
“Every year we welcome an increasingly diverse range of projects and products, and it bodes well for the Middle East lighting design industry that a growing number of regionally-based lighting design firms are eager to showcase their finest work on a global stage.”
Dubai’s Box Park, designed by Meraas Holding-Sudio M, is contesting both the Exterior Retail Lighting Project of the year and the Public Lighting Project of the year categories at the Light Middle East Awards. The project draws inspiration from theatre and is based on a series of metal containers stacked on each other creating a mosaic of riveting colours for people walking along the thoroughfare.
The Jumeirah-located retail complex incorporates select layers of light falling across facades, creating an iconic setting resembling some of the world's most famed urban settings such as London's Harrod's, Paris' Moulin Rouge or New York's Times Square.
Another in the Exterior Retail Lighting Project category is the Arg Centre, a large commercial complex located near Tajrish Square in the Iranian capital Tehran. Architectural style and lighting of this centre have been designed in a way to strengthen the relationship between the complex and the public and create an urban immediate space rather than merely representing a beautiful appearance.
Meanwhile, Banana Island Resort by Anantara is one of three finalists in the Exterior Hospitality Lighting Project of the year category. Dubai-based Studio Lumen Lighting Design was tasked with the design and delivery of lighting at the luxury resort in Qatar, employing a ‘less is more’ policy across all guest-rooms & villas, F&B venues and leisure facilities, creating a subtle and muted lighting effect.
The Light Middle East Awards 2015 shortlist was meticulously selected by an expert judging panel, and more than 500 industry peers are expected to attend the gala dinner to celebrate the winners on the 8th October in Dubai. The entire shortlist can be viewed at: http://www.lightme.net/lightme-awards/.
Now in its 10th edition, Light Middle East is the region’s only dedicated trade fair for lighting design and technology, and will this year feature more than 350 exhibitors from 27 countries showcasing 430 brands.
The international representation is as strong as ever this year, with three country pavilions from the UK, Italy, and Korea complemented by exhibitors from Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, and the USA.
Other returning popular features include the fast-growing Future Zone, where more than 40 leading lighting brands from around the world are showcasing their latest technologies, from LED fixtures for sport venues, to pliable LED strips used for a vast range of architectural lighting applications.
The Light Middle East Conference on 7-8 September will also feature an unparalleled line up of more than 25 high-profile international speakers and industry experts who will share their insights into the key aspects driving further growth in the regional lighting industry.
Show website: www.lightme.net