Category: Architecture

video works

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Video Works

Madinah City Lighting Guidelines

The video shows impressions of the work Ruairí O’Brien and his team did to develop lighting guidelines for the holy city of Medina. It offers a glimpse into the lighting and photography documentation from the basic stages of the Lighting Guidelines project, which conveys a fascinating impression of ” The Radiant City” from a lighting perspective.

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MUSEUM and EXHIBITION ARCHITECTURE

The video shows a selection of Ruairí O’Brien’s work for museums and exhibitions. Nine projects in nine slides.

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Lightsculptures and Installations – Ruairí O’Brien 2025

The video shows a selection of Ruairí O’Brien’s current light sculptures and light installations, as well as complementary pieces from previous years. Art, light, and architecture in fascinating interplay.

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Insights into the works of Ruairí O’Brien


The video shows a selection of Ruairí O’Brien’s works and concepts – from initial ideas to realised projects. The creative process and glimpses behind the scenes also become visible and provide an authentic insight into his way of thinking.

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Digital memory homage to Jorge Luis Borges-Ruairí O’Brien

Ruairí O’Brien’s live performance is an impressive artistic exploration of memory in digital space.

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Our concept for the “House of Democracy” competition


A look behind the idea we developed for the open competition.

-more information can be found on our architects website at

Neuigkeiten

Freehand Drawing & Modelling

The short film shows the kick-off event with first semester students of Ruairí O’Brien at the German University in Cairo.

-more information can be found on our architects website at

Neuigkeiten

Workshop in Berlin – Eating the Light


In this video, Ruairí O’Brien explains the central role of light in our lives. It shows how light – whether natural or artificial – influences our perception, emotions and environments. Experiments, projects and design processes illustrate the broad spectrum of effects of light in everyday life and in architecture.

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“Light of Cairo-Maadi”

Ruairí O’Brien’s short film takes the viewer on a visual journey through Cairo and shows how light – whether sun or street lamp – shapes urban life. The result is an impressive portrait of a city characterised by the interplay of light and darkness.

-more information can be found on our architects website at

Neuigkeiten

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Medinah Lighting Guidelines

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The Radiant City – MADINAH

In a city whose very name means The Radiant City, light is more than illumination – it is part of its identity.

“I am delighted to share that the Madinah Urban Lighting Guidelines have now been officially published by the Madinah Regional Municipality.

Over the past year, it has been a privilege for Ruairí O’Brien Lighting Design to lead the development of these guidelines, working in close collaboration with NAMAA Consult, the Madinah Regional Municipality, and many dedicated colleagues whose expertise, commitment and shared ambition helped bring this vision to life.

Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah – The Radiant City – is a place of profound spiritual significance for millions of people around the world. Developing lighting guidelines for one of the world’s most important religious cities was therefore far more than a technical exercise. It was an opportunity to help define a vision for how light can reinforce identity, celebrate heritage, improve wellbeing and shape the city’s nighttime character.

The guidelines establish a long-term framework for architectural and urban lighting that promotes sustainable, human-centred and high-quality design throughout Madinah. Their ambition is to inspire municipalities, investors, architects, developers and citizens alike to see light not simply as illumination, but as an essential element of architecture, public space and urban life.

Every district, neighbourhood, street and landmark possesses its own identity. Through thoughtful lighting strategies, the city at night can become more beautiful, legible, welcoming and environmentally responsible—enhancing the experience of residents, visitors and the millions of pilgrims who come to Madinah each year.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Madinah Regional Municipality for its trust, vision and commitment throughout this journey, and to the entire team at NAMAA Consult for a highly professional, inspiring and collaborative partnership. Projects of this scale are only possible through shared ambition, mutual respect and the dedication of many talented people.

Our hope is that these guidelines will inspire future projects, encourage excellence in lighting design, and contribute to Madinah becoming an international benchmark for architectural and urban lighting design—demonstrating how light can enrich culture, strengthen identity and improve quality of life for generations to come.

Every great city deserves its own language of light. It has been an honour for our studio to contribute to the evolving nighttime identity of The Radiant City.”

Ruairí O’Brien, August 2026

Market Square “Alte Baumwolle” Floeha, Germany, Architectural Lighting Design for Day and Night

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Market Square “Alte Baumwolle” Floeha, Germany

Architectural Lighting Design for Day and Night

Architecture, Light and Spatial Design – A New Civic Heart for Flöha

At Flöha’s “Alte Baumwolle”, a former cotton mill is becoming a new town centre. After two decades of decay, outstanding industrial architecture and new public spaces come together to create a market square with a distinctive identity. Our day-and-night lighting concept supports this transformation, connecting buildings, public space and urban life.

The design embodies our three complementary disciplines: architecture, light and Spatial Design. We see light as an integral part of shaping space: it reveals architectural qualities, strengthens connections within the urban setting and creates places where people enjoy spending time. Precise, functional illumination and artistic accents combine to form an integrated urban work of art, experienced by day and by night.

Four layers of light shape the square. Custom-designed lighting masts provide precise, standards-compliant illumination, reveal the texture of the historic cobblestones and give the space rhythm and depth. In daylight, they also serve as distinctive design elements. Carefully controlled optics keep functional light away from façades, windows and planting.

As evening becomes night, changing lighting scenes connect the market square with the surrounding mill buildings. Lighting for the water features and seating areas helps define the space and invites people to meet, sit and stay. Small artistic interventions enrich everyday life with moments of surprise and poetry.

By day, sunlight becomes part of the design. Reflection, transmission and colour create changing patterns across the square’s surfaces. They move with the sun, disappear and return with the seasons. The interplay of light, material and space invites people to rediscover a familiar place.

Lighting for the new restaurant and glasshouse will complete the composition: old and new, architecture and public space, day and night – connected through light.

For us, “Contemporary Heritage” begins with the decision to preserve and revitalise existing buildings and spaces. Contemporary design complements this heritage, revealing new qualities and opening up new uses. At the Alte Baumwolle, light supports this transformation, making the market square welcoming and safe throughout the year.

Our principle is simple: light where we need it, darkness where we do not. Precise optics protect homes from intrusive light. Planted areas remain dark as refuges for insects and other wildlife. Lighting follows activity: from 100% in the early evening to 75% later in the evening and 25% late at night, when decorative lighting is also switched off.

Sustainability also encompasses social interaction and a sense of belonging. A market square that becomes the town’s “living room” – a place to meet, play, sit and talk – has lasting value. Architecture, light and Spatial Design work together to create a public space that people enjoy, use and care about.

Fotos: Peter Fischer

Enhancement of the Luther Monument in Berlin

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Enhancing the Luther Monument in Berlin

Through the Interplay of Architecture, Light, and Art

Proposal for the Negotiated Procedure: Monuments and Memorials, Contracting Authority: GRÜN BERLIN GmbH

Artistic Concept

This proposal is founded on the belief that powerful public spaces do not require many elements.

Rather than elevating Luther above the people, the monument returns him to ground level, restoring a direct human relationship. The sculpture is part of everyday life, inviting reflection rather than reverence. There are no monumental barriers, no stone seating, walls or physical obstacles that separate the figure from the public street. Instead, the design expresses the idea of Volksnähe—Luther among the people.

The intervention is composed of four elements:

  • Luther
  • The Ground
  • A Light Mast
  • An Information Point

Concentric circles radiate from the monument, expressing the continuing influence of Luther’s ideas. They represent the outward expansion of his revolutionary thinking—from the individual to society, from the local to the global. The black and white stone circles suggest a pulsating energy going out from Luther’s revolutionary personality and moment in time that resonates today and into the future.

Light is used with precision and restraint. A single luminaire illuminates Luther’s face and the open book, drawing attention to the moment of reading. It symbolises the light of the Reformation—the illumination of knowledge, language and individual thought. Here, light becomes more than illumination; it becomes the medium through which an idea continues to be heard and seen across time.

The illuminated information point provides historical interpretation through text and QR access to further digital content. Its dichroic glass changes continuously with daylight, weather and the movement of the observer, while after dark it becomes a quiet beacon within the square. The monument is therefore never static, but constantly renewed through the changing qualities of natural and artificial light and movement of the viewer.

The result is a place of reflection that is historically sensitive, spatially calm and unmistakably contemporary—a restrained intervention where architecture, art and light work together to make history present and accessible.

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Welcome Elements Bad Wiesenbad Thermal Baths

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Light Sculpture and Welcome Signage for Thermalbad Wiesenbad

Architectural city-marketing and orientation elements for the spa town

For the well-known Saxon spa town of Thermalbad Wiesenbad, we developed a cohesive and distinctive welcome and wayfinding system that combines orientation, recognizability, and a strong culture of hospitality within the public realm. The objective is a clear, high-quality address to all arriving visitors, as well as a positive and friendly farewell for those departing.

At all town entrances, welcome signs approximately three meters in height are planned. Designed in a contemporary, reduced formal language, they mark the transitions into and out of the town. Clear typography, high-quality materials, and an individual mode of address create trust, provide orientation, and leave a positive first impression.

The system is complemented by a four-meter-high artistic-architectural light sculpture serving as a central landmark within the roundabout. It translates the signet of the thermal baths into a contemporary three-dimensional form, uniting regional heritage, the power of the thermal springs, and the spa tradition into a clearly legible symbol. Its perforated metal structure and integrated lighting ensure a strong presence by day and a powerful long-range visibility at night. As a visual guiding element, the sculpture structures space, directs sightlines, and supports intuitive orientation at a key traffic node.

Together, the sculpture and the welcome signs form a coherent city-marketing and orientation system. They translate the identity of the spa town into a contemporary design language, strengthen its presence within the urban space, and shape the image of Thermalbad Wiesenbad — clear, welcoming, and memorably enduring.

Guidelines for optimising commercial outdoor lighting

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Guidelines for optimising commercial outdoor lighting

Our lighting design for a dark sky

Sustainable and environmentally friendly outdoor lighting for commercial and industrial areas offers great potential. Our guide to optimising commercial lighting reduces light pollution – while maintaining safety and efficiency.

The basis is a study carried out by Ruairí O’Brien on behalf of the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment in the Premnitz Industrial Park, located in the Westhavelland Nature and Star Park (approx. 70 km west of Berlin). The region was recognised as Germany’s first star park in 2014 and is committed to preserving natural nocturnal landscapes through responsible lighting. The measures presented here were developed in collaboration with two local companies and serve as a model for other locations.

Core measures:

  • Targeted lighting (only where necessary)
  • Optimised light distribution (minimised light spill)
  • Shielding against stray light
  • Reduced reflection (through darker surfaces)

Advantages:

  • Environmental protection (nature, night and climate)
  • Cost reduction (lower energy consumption)

The guideline serves as a model and is suitable for commercial and industrial areas.

Link to the lighting concept

Design guidelines for Lehnin Monastery

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23.08.2024

Design guidelines for Lehnin Monastery

Kloster Lehnin is a municipality in Brandenburg, about an hour from Berlin city centre. The district of Lehnin owes its origins to the former Cistercian monastery, the oldest monastery in the Mark Brandenburg, which was founded in 1180 and secularised during the Reformation in 1542. Since 1911, it has been home to the Luise-Henrietten-Stift, a Protestant deaconess house.

Our task is to draw up a design guideline for the town planning office to guide the future development of the neighbouring buildings, houses and businesses in the small town of Lehnin in harmony with the listed monastery ensemble. The aim is to preserve the architectural heritage and at the same time enable the use of contemporary technologies, such as the integration of photovoltaics. A key issue is the sensitive positioning and installation of solar modules in the historic roofscape and the preservation of Lehnin’s special street character, including the protection and adaptation of the vegetation in the townscape with regard to climatic changes.

We carry out the necessary on-site surveys and inspections and liaise with specialist authorities. In addition, we support the municipality in the implementation of the process, assist with public and official participation, prepare draft texts for announcements and meeting documents and analyse the comments. The project period runs from April 2024 to December 2024.

Transformation 1.535° ERZ

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Transformation 1.535° ERZ

Lighting design for the new Kunstguss Lauchhammer experience centre

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to join the team of experts working on the ambitious “Transformation 1.535°” project in Lauchhammer, Brandenburg, Germany. This extensive project spans two sites: “ERZ” (ORE) with art casting museum, art foundry and Friedenskirche in Lauchhammer-Ost (13.8 ha) and “KOHLE” (COAL) with bio-towers, activated sludge basin and relic park in Lauchhammer-West (32.2 ha).

Our contribution to the planning and development team is the creation and implementation of the lighting concepts for the public space, the landscaping, the art casting museum, the new “Education and Experience Centre for Art Casting and Industrial Culture” and the famous listed bio-towers (see picture).

The “Transformation 1.535°” project is one of the most ambitious cultural and tourism initiatives in Germany, if not in Europe. Its aim is to transform the remnants of East Germany’s coal industry history into a vibrant centre for art, education and tourism.

An important part of this project is the expansion of the Lauchhammer Art Casting Museum into an “Education and Experience Centre for Art Casting and Industrial Culture”. This centre will honour the region’s rich industrial heritage while promoting modern educational and cultural experiences.

The Biotowers, a unique and impressive example of East German industrial culture, are at the centre of this transformation.

These structures, which once bore witness to the region’s industrial prowess, will be brought back to life through exhibitions, information programmes and innovative lighting concepts so that they can be preserved and appreciated for future generations.

We are delighted to be able to contribute to this epoch-making project and to contribute to its sustainable and holistic success with our expertise in the communicative and aesthetic power of architectural lighting design.stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey!

Transformation 1.535° COAL

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20.08.2024

Transformation 1.535° COAL

Lighting design for the new Kunstguss Lauchhammer experience centre

We are pleased to announce that we have been selected to join the team of experts working on the ambitious “Transformation 1.535°” project in Lauchhammer, Brandenburg, Germany. This extensive project spans two sites: “ERZ” (ORE) with art casting museum, art foundry and Friedenskirche in Lauchhammer-Ost (13.8 ha) and “KOHLE” (COAL) with bio-towers, activated sludge basin and relic park in Lauchhammer-West (32.2 ha).

Our contribution to the planning and development team is the creation and implementation of the lighting concepts for the public space, the landscaping, the art casting museum, the new “Education and Experience Centre for Art Casting and Industrial Culture” and the famous listed bio-towers (see picture).

The “Transformation 1.535°” project is one of the most ambitious cultural and tourism initiatives in Germany, if not in Europe. Its aim is to transform the remnants of East Germany’s coal industry history into a vibrant centre for art, education and tourism.

An important part of this project is the expansion of the Lauchhammer Art Casting Museum into an “Education and Experience Centre for Art Casting and Industrial Culture”. This centre will honour the region’s rich industrial heritage while promoting modern educational and cultural experiences.

The Biotowers, a unique and impressive example of East German industrial culture, are at the centre of this transformation.

These structures, which once bore witness to the region’s industrial prowess, will be brought back to life through exhibitions, information programmes and innovative lighting concepts so that they can be preserved and appreciated for future generations.

We are delighted to be able to contribute to this epoch-making project and to contribute to its sustainable and holistic success with our expertise in the communicative and aesthetic power of architectural lighting design.stay tuned for more updates on this exciting journey!

read more here

Jesse Owens Information Sculpture – Place of Remembrance

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Jesse Owens Information Sculpture

Place of Remembrance at Olympic Stadium Berlin

Ruairí O’Brien developed the concept for a place of remembrance in front of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, dedicated to the American track and field athlete James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens. At the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Owens won four gold medals in the 100 metres, long jump, 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay, becoming the most successful athlete of the Games. His triumph powerfully disproved the racist ideology of National Socialism.

The memorial sculpture combines architecture, light, history and movement to create a spatial experience. A transparent structure in front of the stadium takes the 100-metre track as its narrative line. Reflective and optical elements direct sunlight during the day and, at night, create a precise drawing in light that makes Owens’ run, his speed and the moment of victory tangible.

The result is a place between remembrance, perception and physical experience. Visitors do not simply look at a sculpture; they move along a story. Light, reflection, scale and rhythm make speed and time visible — inviting visitors to see, think, read, learn, ask and enjoy.