2026 IALD Radiance Award for Excellence in Lighting Design
Cologne Cathedral: Exterior Lighting -- Cologne, Germany | Licht Kunst Light AG
This year's Radiance Award—the highest honor in the program—recognizes a transformative lighting design that combines heritage conservation with environmental responsibility. Using over 700 carefully positioned LED fixtures, the project illuminates the Gothic masterpiece without drilling a single hole in the historic structure, reducing energy consumption by 80 percent while revealing 50 percent more architectural detail.
2026 IALD Awards of Excellence
Al Mujadilah: Center & Mosque for Women -- Doha, Qatar | Buro Happold
The first purpose-built contemporary mosque designed specifically for women, featuring nearly 6,000 conical skylight perforations that create diffuse, contemplative luminosity throughout the prayer hall.
Grand Hyatt Kunming: Public Areas & Rooms -- Kunming, China | The Flaming Beacon & Isometrix
A refined lighting approach that reinterprets the natural beauty of Yunnan Province through contemporary design, using light quality, shadow, and carefully considered color moments to evoke the spirit of place.
2026 IALD Awards of Merit
- At-Turaif -- Diriyah, Saudi Arabia | Speirs Major Light Architecture
- BAPS Hindu Mandir -- Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Studio Lumen
- Chongqing Science Hall -- Chongqing, China | Beijing PRO Lighting Design Co., Ltd.
- Desert Rock Resort -- Saudi Arabia | Delta Lighting Design
- Four Seasons Tamarindo -- Costalegre de Jalisco, México | Artec Studio
- Hilton Niushoushan -- Nanjing, China | Brandston Partnership Inc.
- Li Shutong Park & Baoben Pagoda -- Pinghu, China | SUNLUX Lighting Design Co., Ltd.
- Lugu Lake Lanyue Hotel -- Lijiang, China | Beijing PRO Lighting Design Co., Ltd.
- Memorial Brumadinho -- Brumadinho, Brazil | Atiaìa Lighting Design
- NX Budokan -- Tokyo, Japan | SIRIUS Lighting Office, Inc.
View the complete project gallery and designer credits in the IALD Awards gallery.
Meet the 2026 Award Winners
The evening closed with the announcement that the Call for Entries in the 2027 IALD Awards cycle will open in late summer of 2026, with the culminating ceremony taking place next May during the Light + Intelligent Building North America 2027 trade show and expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.