Marco Miglioli: Designing Light Means Interpreting Architecture
From theatrical set design to lighting design, the founder of ArchiLight Studio reflects on the relationship between light and perception, the opportunities offered by LED technology, and the responsibilities of lighting design.
MASTERS OF LIGHTS | LED ITALY
To illuminate architecture is to determine how it will be perceived. The direction of light, its intensity, and its relationship with shadow can transform the perception of volumes, highlight the characteristics of materials, and establish new spatial hierarchies. At night, when natural light is absent, these choices become even more apparent: every building can be interpreted through what we choose to reveal or leave in shadow.
This is the vision that guides the work of Marco Miglioli, architect and lighting designer at ArchiLight Studio, featured in a new edition of Masters of Lights, LED Italy’s series dedicated to the culture and practice of lighting design.
From Set Design to Lighting Design
Miglioli’s education began at the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio, where he graduated in 2008 after studying under Peter Zumthor and Mario Botta. His subsequent interest in set design led him to La Scala in Milan, where he was introduced to the world of theatrical lighting.
This experience would go on to shape his approach to lighting design. Moving from theatre to architecture, he worked on museums, religious buildings, and public spaces, collaborating for several years with Ferrara Palladino Lightscape before continuing his professional career through his own studio.
The theatrical dimension remains an integral part of his work, reflected in his particular attention to the ability of light to direct the gaze and shape the perception of space.
Light as an Interpretation of Space
For Miglioli, the starting point of any lighting design project is understanding the architecture itself.
Light makes it possible to select the elements that deserve attention, enhance a sense of depth, reveal the texture of a surface, or transform the visual relationship between a building and its surroundings.
Lighting design therefore becomes an exercise in interpretation, in which technical tools are used to translate a spatial intention into reality.
This approach is particularly relevant when working with historic buildings. Illuminating a Romanesque church, characterised by small openings and a restrained relationship with natural light, requires a different approach from lighting Baroque architecture, where contrasts of light and shadow form an integral part of the architectural language.
The objective is to understand the character of the building before intervening, avoiding dramatic lighting solutions that could distort its perception.
LED Technology: Greater Possibilities, Greater Responsibility
The evolution of LED technology has considerably expanded the possibilities of lighting design. Compact light sources, precise optics, and increasingly sophisticated control systems make it possible to manage light intensity, distribution, and colour characteristics with a level of flexibility that was difficult to achieve in the past.
However, Miglioli identifies a contradiction in this evolution.
The ability to adjust numerous parameters even after installation can encourage a less rigorous approach during the preliminary design phase. The risk is relying on subsequent adjustments while reducing the time devoted to defining the lighting strategy from the outset.
The availability of advanced tools, therefore, does not automatically guarantee the quality of the final result. Technology expands the designer’s opportunities, but it also requires a clear vision of the objectives.
At the same time, increasing attention is being paid to the sustainability of lighting systems, the possibility of replacing light sources, and research into new forms of illumination, including phosphorescent materials and bioluminescent phenomena.
Designing for People, Interpreting Places
Another significant development is the growing attention paid to the effects of light on people.
In workplaces, where people spend extended periods of time, lighting quality must be assessed by considering the contribution of natural daylight, glare control, luminance distribution, and the overall conditions of the visual environment.
In the hospitality sector, Miglioli distinguishes between spaces where lighting primarily serves a dramatic or atmospheric purpose, such as certain reception and representative areas, and those intended for rest and well-being, where comfort and the ability to adapt lighting to individual needs become essential.
Today, lighting control systems make it possible to adjust illumination throughout the day, introducing a dynamic dimension that requires increasingly close collaboration between lighting designers, architects, and specialists from other disciplines.
This integration also extends to the relationship between lighting and construction. In contemporary projects, lighting fixtures can be developed alongside architectural elements from the earliest design stages, using customised solutions that minimise the visual presence of technical components.
The central principle remains the ability to understand the characteristics of a space and the needs of those who use it.
In Miglioli’s vision, the true value of lighting design lies precisely in achieving this balance: harnessing the possibilities offered by technology to create a thoughtful and informed interpretation of architecture.
