Adrian Stapleton - Portfolio

Adrian Stapleton Architectural Lighting Design

Portfolio

kulturhuset Futurum

Interior Lighting Design

Futurum community centre renovation and expansion

Järna, Södertälje, Sweden

KTH Architectural Lighting Design Group 7

Client: Nyréns Arkitektkontor AB

Project Description

As part of the Master’s degree programme at KTH, I was tasked with crafting an interior lighting scheme that met functional needs, reflected user preferences, and enhanced community connection, all while prioritizing sustainability.

These initiatives transform the facility into a beacon of community cohesion, while still dramatically reducing power consumption.

Contributions

• Created comprehensive documentation in AutoCAD and Revit, including RCPs, detail drawings, fixture schedules, and dimming/control plans.

• Utilized DIALux to analyze annual sun path and solar impact, enabling informed decisions on daylighting strategies.

• Generated detailed interior lighting design renderings, illustrating diverse activities, and daily and seasonal variations.

• Conducted extensive site research, including user interviews and analysis of historical usage patterns, offering valuable insights for optimizing spatial functionality.

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Landskyrkan Alingsås

Festival Lighting Design

Lights in Alingsås

Alingsås, Västra Götaland, Sweden

Landskyrkan Design Team

Project Description

Lights in Alingsås, an annual light festival in western Sweden, provided a unique opportunity for outdoor lighting design. As a member of the design team, I contributed to the transformation of Landskyrkan into a vibrant focal point. Our goal was to imbue the church with a renewed sense of community, inviting visitors to rediscover its beauty and significance. Through strategic manipulation of light, we orchestrated an immersive experience, guiding visitors around the church grounds and fostering a sense of togetherness and enchantment.

Contributions

• Contributed to developing a cohesive and unified lighting concept alongside the design lead.

• Produced sketches to aid in conceptualizing and refining design principles within the team.

• Organized logistics for the selection and delivery of equipment and supplies to the site.

• Worked closely with the programmer to craft dynamic scenes that adapted to twilight.

• Integrated realistic fire effect lighting in the church tower to act as a beacon for visitors.

• Proposed the use of tree lights to frame the church, and led the installation and focus to establish and foster a welcoming atmosphere.

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Photos: Patrik Gunnar Helin

Mariatorget

Urban Park Lighting Design

City LightScope project

Mariatorget, Södermalm, Stockholm, Sweden

KTH Architectural Lighting Design Group 3

Project Description

As a team, our objective entailed optimising Mariatorget through an enhanced nighttime lighting scheme. Adhering to the directives laid out in the Stockholm City Plan, we redesigned the park, with the aim of improving visitor engagement while adhering to sustainable principles and mitigating glare. Data analysis directed us towards establishing a captivating focal point at the park’s core and enhancing illumination in the playground, a popular spot for evening community use.

Contributions

• Conducted a thorough analysis of the park’s functional zones, documenting pedestrian traffic and correlating it with illuminance data.

City Light Scope: Group

• Crafted a comprehensive design scheme with detailed plans, sections, and fixture schedules.

• Strategically positioned luminaires to illuminate formerly shadowed statues within the central fountain.

• Illustrated design concepts through sketches communicating proposed enhancements.

Group 3 4

Concept designs

These drawings emerged from a deep desire to elevate the lighting of places which evoke an emotional connection in me. I believe that beautiful environments deserve lighting imbued with care and respect. With no client constraints, I had the freedom to design them according to my own vision, aiming to bring them to life in a way that resonates with me personally. These projects represent my commitment to infusing spaces with a luminous quality that reflects my creative expression.

Exterior Lighting Design

Chiesa della Santissima Anunziata

Trento, Italy

Personal project

Project Description

A modest 17th-century Jesuit church stands just down a side street from the grandeur of the Cattedrale di San Vigilio, steeped in the history of the Council of Trent and the Counter-Reformation.

With its unassuming stature, the Chiesa deserves a delicate approach to let its unique personality shine amidst its prominent neighbor’s shadow.

• Softly lit upper storey windows create an inviting ambiance.

• Gentle light washes on the lower façade accentuate statues and the entrance path.

• Small linear luminaires highlight arches and pediment capitals.

• High CRI washes on the dome enhance green and gold glazed tiles.

• Tightly focused lights create a luminous effect on gilded crosses.

Urban Lighting Plan

Gamla stan

Stockholm, Sweden

Personal project

Project Description

In our urban lighting strategy, we traditionally prioritize roadbed illumination to meet standards before considering beautification. However, by emphasizing the city’s beauty first and then addressing practical lighting needs, we can enhance the urban landscape while maintaining consistent light levels.

A city as vibrant as Stockholm deserves thoughtful lighting solutions.

• Facade lighting provides primary ambient illumination for the road.

• Church tower lighting aids navigation and enhances ambiance.

• Promenade lights featuring low-glare luminaires prioritize vegetation illumination.

• Reduced lighting levels in the Tunnelbana station help travelers adjust to the nightscape.

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The White Snake

Stage Lighting Design

McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center

Saratoga, California, USA

Play by Mary Zimmerman

Directed by Sarah Thermond

Project Description

The White Snake is a theatrical interpretation of a timeless Chinese folk narrative. At its heart lies the journey of a serpent metamorphosed into human form embarking on a quest for love. Interwoven within its fabric are threads of romance, magic, and exquisite beauty.

In crafting the lighting design, my aim was to immerse the audience in the complex emotions portrayed by the characters and transport them to a distant realm, far removed from their everyday reality. Through the play of colour, light, and shadow, I sought to evoke the ethereal essence of the story, enveloping spectators in its enchanting mystique.

Contributions

• Collaborated closely with the director and performers to craft cohesive visual aesthetics and deliver a stunning theatrical production.

• Directed the focus of luminaires to achieve optimal stage illumination and enhance visual storytelling.

• Produced CAD drawings for the lighting installation layout to ensure precise execution of the design concept.

• Developed detailed storyboards outlining specific scenes and transitions to effectively communicate the design vision.

• Programmed lighting control system with intricate scene transitions to evoke captivating stage imagery.

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Moon rise over West Lake, Hangzhou

Theatrical designs

Death of Jean Valjean, Les Misérables

Salem, Massachusetts, 1492, The Crucible

Lighting design of the narrative setting, time landscape that direct attention nuanced shifts the performers states of being. sitions signal dynamics, adding telling experience.

Penthouse window,

window, Thoroughly Modern Millie

design in theatre is integral to the telling narrative unfolding on stage. It shapes the time of day, and mood, crafting a visual that guides the audience. Layers of light attention and highlight key moments, while shifts in the colour and intensity of light on performers mirror the characters’ emotions and being. Subtly choreographed lighting transignal changes in atmosphere and scene adding depth and impact to the storyexperience.

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Gambling in the sewers (Crapshooter’s Dance/Luck Be a Lady) The Hotbox Club (Take Back Your Mink) Street in Havana (If I Were a Bell), Guys and Dolls

Bharatanatyam

This ancient dance form from southern India holds significant cultural and religious importance, frequently depicting tales from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Integrating facial expressions, hand gestures, rhythm, drama, and storytelling, the dance aims to convey intricate narratives. Lighting plays a pivotal role in communicating the characters, emotions, and themes of the dance, culminating in a visually stunning performance that pays homage to millennia-old traditions with grace and reverence.

Shri Krupa Dance Company musicians Ranjani Ganesh Jayasri Sundara Raghavan Photos: Naveen Kumar Thota and Shri Krupa Dance

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Saumya Kundu Lisa Barooah Harini Shivaanand Ramadas

Master’s thesis

Integrating Electrochromic Glazing Technology into Conservation-Focused Lighting Design for Museum Collections

KTH School of Architecture and the Built Environment Stockholm, Sweden

Project Description

For my thesis, I conducted an in-depth exploration of the potential application of electrochromic glazing in museum environments, with a specific focus on the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. This study aimed to investigate how this innovative technology could effectively harness natural light and scenic views while safeguarding delicate exhibit materials from harmful light exposure. This research required in-depth site analysis, effective communication, and skilled use of technical software.