Together with Ben van Berkel of UN Studio in Amsterdam, van der Heide and his team developed a lighting scheme for the building skin that changes, chameleon-like, at night, and during the day reflects the subtleties of natural light on the opalescent façade of dichroic glass discs. At night, the discs are individually backlit and controlled by a computer program to create brilliant colour schemes all over the building - each disc acting like a big pixel on a giant screen feeding text or images around the entire external structure.
As an experienced designer with an extensive portfolio, van der Heide regards lighting as the fourth dimension of design, integrating and enhancing the other design disciplines. He brings his unique perspective to the use of light as an architectural tool, complementing the Arup engineering team and reinforcing their success in a design field not often entered by engineering firms. Commenting on his work Rogier says: "crossing the boundaries of the design disciplines fuels my approach to lighting. It's more than adding a complementary element, it's a fusion of all elements that empowers light as a deliberate component of architecture."On winning the award, van der Heide commented: "This is a fantastic moment in the celebration of artistic, insightful lighting design. Galleria West is a unique expression of technology and art being employed as a strategic instrument to fulfil the client's business goals."
(Lee Baldock)
