Prize(s) Winners in Conceptual Designs-Projects in Development
Lighting Design/Product Company Office For Visual Interaction, Inc.
Lead Designers Jean Sundin; Enrique Peiniger; Markus Fuerderer; Wendy Jiang
Architecture Company Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Client China Jinmao
Photo Credits Office for Visual Interaction, Inc. (OVI); Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (ASGG); Smilodon
Completion Date Under Construction
Project Location Nanjing, China
Entry DescriptionThe architectural lighting of Nanjing’s Runmao Tower enhances its dynamic character and creates an iconic nighttime identity in the skyline, highlighting the tower's supertall, fluid façade gestures for a striking visual impact.
The lighting concept, guided by storytelling and inspired by Nanjing's deep-rooted connection to water and stone farming, innovatively blends technology, aesthetics, functionality, sustainability, cultural significance, and emotional resonance. The tower’s façade features fully integrated, digitally addressable LED luminaires to create lighting effects that mimic water’s rippling motion, symbolizing Nanjing’s rich cultural heritage on a grand scale.
An advanced lighting control system supports the building's unique features by enabling dynamic and interactive lighting. Thoughtfully integrated through a fluid design, the subtle animation and transformation generates lighting effects that allow the building to engage with visitors on an experiential level and visually respond to cultural events.
Balancing aesthetics and functionality, a visual hierarchy of light provides ambient illumination for safety and compliance, while focal points like the canopy entrance and the illuminated Cloud Walk at the tower’s peak create a captivating presence within the city skyline and streetscape.
Sustainability ApproachA sustainable approach integrates a dynamic lighting control system with the Building Management System (BMS) to enable flexible lighting adjustments and energy use optimization. LED sources reduce energy consumption, environmental impact, and operational costs while extending the system’s lifecycle.
The innovative design merges aesthetics with FAA lighting requirements, eliminating the need for additional hardware and optimizes material use. Instead of standard red FAA lights, the project employs white lights that meet FAA regulations for spacing, intensity, and refresh rate, seamlessly blending into the façade’s fluid aesthetic.
This approach enhances visual design and regulatory compliance, maximizing efficiency and supporting sustainability. Aiming for LEED-Gold certification, Runmao Tower is set to become one of the tallest buildings globally to achieve this distinction.
