A+Finalist Spotlight: Let There Be Light

Public voting for the 2015 A+Awards is now open, which means that YOU have the power to select the very best architecture in the world. With the A+Awards, recognizing the best projects is no longer domain of a small group of judges — everyone gets a say in who will be crowned victorious in over 90 categories, and your opinion counts! Check out all of the finalists and cast your vote here

Anyone with an eye for great architecture knows that light — and its counterpart shade — can transform a building from a straightforward piece of architectural design into an ethereal world full of atmosphere. From Louis Kahn to Tadao Ando, the greats all have a knack for enhancing their structures with an illuminating use of light — a theme that unsurprisingly turns up among this year’s A+Award Finalists as well. Here are five projects that will make you fall in love with light all over again: check them out, and then cast your gaze over here to register your votes!

Haffenden House by PARA Project
Category: Private House (XS <1000 sq ft)

The exterior of this ethereal residential property in Syracuse is wrapped in a translucent silicon-impregnated fabric, providing a subtle filter for light while maintaining privacy.

LIGHT IS TIME by Dorell.Ghotmeh.Tane / Architects (DGT)
Category: Pops-Ups & Temporary

Presented at the Triennale di Milano Design Museum, this installation was designed to display watches by CITIZEN — the explosion of glittering, golden cogs is intended to represent the intrinsic relationship between light and time.

Chapel in Joáby Bernardes Arquitetura
Category: Religious Buildings & Memorials

This seaside chapel in Brazil utilizes uplighting to accentuate the warmth and rhythm of its structural timber frame, expressed both inside and out.

Incineration Line, Roskilde by Erick van Egeraat
Category: Architecture+Light

Erick van Egeraat set out to prove that incinerators can be beautiful with this sculptural industrial building, clad with umber-colored aluminum. Its façade has been perforated, allowing lights of changing hues to emit a subtle glow in the evening sky.

Helix Garage by POHL ROSA POHL architecture+design
Category: Parking Structures

How do you enliven a 1960s multi-story garage? POHL ROSA POHL did it with a patchwork of louvered panels and some extraordinary lighting, transforming this parking structure in Kentucky into a multi-chromatic urban landmark.

Shipyard Cranes Lighting Giantsby Skira
Category: Architecture+Light

Lighting designers Skira showed us that industrial machines can be beautiful with this vibrant installation in Pula, Croatia. Huge LED spotlights — weighing 40kg each — are illuminated every night between 9pm and midnight, transforming the cranes into a magical flock of rainbow-colored sculptures.

Swing Time by Höweler + Yoon Architecture
Category: Pops-Ups & Temporary

Part art installation, part playground, this cluster of ring-shaped swings illuminates an urban park in Boston. The lights are directly affected by users: When forces are static and the swings are not in use, they emit a soft, white light; when they are in motion, the light turns a rich purple color, creating an ever-changing display.

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Like what you see here? Check out all of the 2015 A+Awards finalists and vote for your favorites!