1st Place: Lighting Kerstroosplein – City of Eindhoven
Location
City: Eindhoven
Country: Netherlands
Population: 249 035
Stakeholders
Project coordinator: Arthur Noordhoek, Project manager Urban lighting, City of Eindhoven
Lighting design: Studio Philip Ross, in collaboration with Het Lux Lab
Contracting authority: City of Eindhoven
Installation & maintenance: TechDynamics, SPIE
Technical
RGBW LED sources + Light Sketching system + Rapid assessment of lamp spectrum to quantify ecological effects of light at night
Implementation
Date launched: February 2022
Inauguration date: January 2025
Budget
Total amount: 54.575,79 EUR
To resolve the balance between resident safety needs and ecological preservation, the city implemented the innovative “Light Sketching” method in a neighbourhood park.
Residents gathered after dark to “sketch” their desired lighting on tablets, which were instantly translated into real light via custom RGBW luminaires. Crucially, the system simultaneously calculated the ecological impact on fauna like bats and mice, giving nature a “voice” in the creative process.
This experiential conversation increased community engagement and acceptance of light levels far lower than standard designs, using nature-sensitive colour palettes free of harmful blue light.
The final result uses less energy than a single household bulb for the entire 4,000 m² area by focusing light on vertical surfaces to improve perceived safety while maintaining a safe harbour for biodiversity.
WORDS OF THE JURY
“A small, inexpensive project with high innovative value, using an experimental and original method. The result corresponds to a specific context and local scale, but the method could be replicated. User involvement is the best way to promote acceptance of very low light levels. The availability of different lighting scenes makes it possible to adapt lighting to collective uses and different seasons. This project fully meets the objectives of the LUCI declaration.” – Sara Castagné, Concepto – Jury member
“It is also a demonstration of a common and often neglected fact: local communities, when they are included in the process of finding solutions for the public realm, really give value to a project. As one would expect, catalogue solutions rarely perform better than customised, dedicated processes. Sometimes used as a mere buzzword, to the extent that it has already lost its sense and potential, it is fantastic to see real examples of what we mean when we call for ‘participatory design’ in urban lighting projects.” – Alberto Barberá Duelo, Anoche Lighting Design – Jury member
2nd Place: two cities, Busan & Lyon, are awarded
Gwangan Bridge Architectural Lighting Plan – City of Busan
Location
City: Busan
Country: South Korea
Population: 3 323 000
Stakeholders
Project coordinator: Star Lighting Co., Ltd
Lighting design: Kyuyoung Plan and Kyungwon E&G and Art & TE Co., Ltd
Contracting authority: City of Busan
Installation & maintenance: Star Lighting Co., Ltd and Busan Infrastructure Corporation
Technical
LED sources + MADRIX control system integrating real-time API data such as temperature, wind speed, and rainfall and connected to the Bridge Marine Control Center.
Installed lighting power: 3,924 W
Implementation
Date launched: February 2023
Inauguration date: November 2023
Budget
Total amount: 4.347.000,00 EUR
This initiative involved a full upgrade of the iconic bridge’s lighting system to 100% LED, transitioning to a data-driven, carbon-neutral nocturnal environment.
Unlike conventional bridge lighting, the system utilises real-time API data—such as wind speed, fine dust levels, and precipitation—to visualise ecological and environmental changes. This allows citizens to perceive natural transformations through light, turning the bridge into a “living medium”.
Strategically, the project harmonises with weekly drone shows and local festivals to reinforce the city’s identity as a global “City of Light”. The infrastructure is centralised through the Bridge Marine Control Center, supporting over 4,000 dynamic lighting effects that reflect the subtle rhythms of the surrounding coastal environment. To protect migratory birds and marine ecosystems, upward lighting was eliminated, and lights are temporarily switched off during sensitive periods.
WORDS OF THE JURY
“This project has become a true landmark of the city, via innovative use of light and technology. The goals are clearly articulated and convincingly realised throughout the work. The overall process demonstrates exceptionally high quality, supported by numerous innovations—from event‑ready fixtures with patented solutions to thoughtful design choices. The commitment to sustainability is especially commendable. Altogether, the project exemplifies both technical excellence and visionary lighting design.” – Olli Rantala, City of Oulu, Jury member
Railway under crossings in the city centre – City of Lyon
Location
Location: Lyon
Country: France
Population: 520 774
Stakeholders
1.
Project coordinator: Frédéric Durand, Head of the Design office, City of Lyon
Lighting design: LEA-Les Éclairagistes Associés
Contracting authority: City of Lyon
Installation & maintenance: SPIE and Urban lighting department City of Lyon
2.
Project coordinator: AUC
Lighting design: Agence ON
Contracting authority: SPL Lyon Part-Dieu
Installation & maintenance: SETEC OPENCY, ADG Energy, Entreprise Jean Lefebvre, Soliled, and Urban lighting department City of Lyon
Technical
LED sources + DMX
Implementation
Date launched: 2024
Inauguration date: March (1) and December (2) 2024
Budget
Total amount (excluding design and excluding tax): 270.900,00 EUR (1) and 309.300,00 EUR (2)
Lyon is transforming functional underpasses near its railway stations into safe, welcoming urban experiences.
Two of these renovations are submitted for these awards, yet both form part of a broader city strategy to reimagine underpasses as active public spaces.
Inspired by Lyon’s textile heritage, the first project employs “bayadère” fabric patterns to accentuate the structures with shimmering colour.
The second highlights a dedicated pedestrian and cycling route, using dynamic scenography that alternates between vibrant light and calming textures to promote movement and support citizens’ health and wellbeing.
The city has reduced energy consumption by up to a thousandfold during the day compared to previous installations. Resident-led night walks informed the final designs, transforming formerly “anxiety-inducing” non-places into welcoming social connectors.
WORDS OF THE JURY
“Lyon once again leads by example in how to care for the city after dark. These underpasses move beyond a purely functional upgrade, transforming spaces of discomfort into environments that feel safe, legible, and genuinely welcoming. The integration of presence detection, with light responding to real human activity, reflects a mature, solution-oriented approach: using technology not as an end in itself, but as a precise tool to balance safety, energy responsibility, and quality of experience.” – Chiara Carucci, Noctua, Jury member
3rd Place: Architectural Lighting Design “Cerro del Molinete” – City of Cartagena
Location
Location: Cartagena
Country: Spain
Population: 219 777
Stakeholders
Project coordinator: Pedro Jose Agüera Martinez, Juan Sánchez Rodríguez (Engineer Cartagena City Council)
Lighting design: DCI Lighting Design
Contracting authority: Cartagena City Council
Installation & maintenance: Serveo
Technical
LED sources + Bluetooth control system
Implementation
Date launched: February 2025
Budget
Total amount: 190.442,01 EUR
SHORT DESCRIPTION
Situated on a strategic hill in the historic core, this project uses light to reveal archaeological layers dating from the 3rd century BC to the 20th century.
The lighting design acts as a storyteller, using colour temperatures from 1800K to 3000K to represent historical periods, allowing visitors to grasp the space’s evolution at a glance.
To minimise light pollution, the project uses predominantly low-height sources and a control system that reduces upward emissions while preserving habitats for nocturnal species.
Using a Bluetooth control system, tour guides can narrate history by making different civilisations “appear and disappear” through light.
This “magical” experience has transformed a previously avoided area into a primary tourist attraction while ensuring that heritage protagonists remain the focus rather than the fixtures.
WORDS OF THE JURY
“In Cartagena, light becomes a narrative instrument: carefully revealing the many historical layers of the city, from the 3rd century BC to today, without overwhelming the site. The use of Bluetooth control to allow history to ‘appear and disappear’ during guided visits is both sensitive and intelligent. It safeguards the natural darkness of the hill, demonstrating that heritage interpretation, visitor comfort, and respect for the night environment can not only coexist, but actively reinforce one another.” – Chiara Carucci, Noctua, Jury member
“Cartagena demonstrates how modern lighting can be both innovative and poetic, excelling in restraint and sensitivity by offering people a narrative different from the day while quietly narrating the city’s past with elegance.” – Youngho Baik, ECOLANT, Jury member
Specials Mentions
The special mentions of the 2026 edition go to the Richmond and Wandsworth Council (United Kingdom) and Madiun (Indonesia)!
Richmond and Wandsworth Council
Following a borough-wide Night-Time Strategy, this place-based project revitalises a historic 1960s housing estate by moving away from one-size-fits-all lighting and prioritising resident safety, wellbeing, and landscape preservation. Extensive community engagement, including resident-led night walks, informed targeted interventions using warm-white, human-scale luminaires that create a welcoming, neighbourhood feel without the glare of floodlighting. Lighting is coordinated with wayfinding, artwork, and planting, and managed through intelligent dimming to preserve dark corridors for local bat populations.
Madiun
Madiun Regency’s project stands out for its depth beyond the technical dimension. Working within a context of chronic power shortages and an unstable, outdated grid, the team addressed infrastructure, governance, and social dynamics at the same time. The door-to-door engagement with communities—resolving long-standing informal connections to the network—shows that sustainable lighting transitions are ultimately about people as much as systems. This is a reminder that meaningful innovation often begins with listening, trust-building, and long-term responsibility.
Photo credits
©Bart van Overbeeke; ©City of Busan, Suyeong gu; ©Michel Djaoui & Johann Trompat, City of Lyon; © Martin Garcia Pérez, City of Cartagena; ©Richmond and Wandsworth Council and Light Follows Behaviour; ©Madiun Regency