Design, Italians do it better

Artificial with a Natural Appearance: CoeLux LED Skylights

View all 5 Photos

The skylights may look real, but they’re actually a recent innovation in artificial lighting. Designed by the award-winning Italian company CoeLux and funded by the European Union, these LED fixtures mimic sunlight by diffusing white and blue light through a nanoparticle coating that simulates the earth’s atmosphere.

The technology has great potential in bringing new life to indoor spaces. Possible applications include everything from dark apartment bathrooms to dreary hospital wards.

Presented at the 2014 Biennale Architettura, the design is making people excited about the many new ways in which architecture can transform people’s experiences of everyday life. The skylights are currently available in three versions—representing Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Tropics sun exposure—and priced from £40,000. In the future, researchers look forward to creating even more nuanced lighting options, and market demand will hopefully make the design more affordable in time.

More for you

Stalla d’Zura


Architecture

In Borgonovo, Switzerland, Alder Clavuot Nunzi adapt a Val Bregaglia stalla — the rur...

Ses Clotades by Marià Castell...


Architecture

In Formentera, a house of white volumes, timber shutters, courtyards, and collected r...

Casa Caimán


Architecture

Vernacular architecture and the beauty of the Oaxacan coast have inspired the design ...

Casa San Francisco


Architecture

A five-volume vacation house that gives a nod to monastic architecture while drawing ...

Elmhurst by O’Sullivan Skouf...


Architecture

In Canonbury, the London studio renovates a 1930s terrace into a family home and arch...

A Black Timber Pavilion in the...


Architecture

Near the El Durazno River in Villa Yacanto, Nicolás Oks places a small black timber p...

Around the world

Kymaia, Playa El Puertecito


Around the World

A 22‑suite coastal retreat shaped by stepped, earthen volumes, palm shade, and slow p...

Mala Vila


Around the World

Designed with mirror walls, these four cabins perfectly reflect the surrounding woodl...

Kimpton Las Mercedes Hotel


Around the World

A Historic Landmark Reimagined: Kimpton Las Mercedes Brings New Life to Santo Domingo...

Staff Picks

Eavesdrop by Tom Dowdall Architects

Architecture for Dogs, A Project Created for Man’s Best Friend

Pawson Drift Collection

The Garden Pavilion

Stay Updated

FacebookPinterestRedditLinkedInEmailWhatsAppX