Speirs Major Light Architecture (SMLA) (formerly Speirs + Major, Speirs and Major Associates) is a UK lighting design practice founded by Jonathan Speirs (1958-2012) and Mark Major in 1993. The practice is noted for its illumination of many prominent buildings, including Barajas International Airport,Richard Rogers Partnership. "Terminal 4 Barajas Airport Madrid", Richard Rogers Partnership, 2007Slessor, Catherine."Spanish Soft Machine", Architectural Review, July 2006 30 St Mary Axe (‘The Gherkin’), the Millennium Dome and the interior of St. Paul's Cathedral.Kolb, Jaffer. "Divine Light", Architectural Lighting, November 2006 The firm has also developed lighting master plans for several British cities, including Cambridge, Coventry, Durham,"Plan to illuminate historic city", BBC News, August 2007 Newcastle, and for major private developments including Greenwich Peninsula and King’s Cross Central, London.
Speirs Major has been credited with helping to raise awareness of the lighting design profession in the UK.Kennett, Stephen. "Setting the world alight", Building Services Journal, January 2006 Today it employs approximately 38 people drawn from disciplines including architecture, art, lighting, interior, graphic and theatrical design. Its studios are based in London, UK and Tokyo, Japan.
Light Architecture Both founding members Jonathan Speirs, who died on 18 June 2012, and Mark Major trained and practiced as architects before focusing on lighting design. In interviewsMansfield, Susan. "That warm glow of success", The Scotsman, June 2002 they argued that light should be embedded at the heart of the architectural design process rather than applied as a ‘cosmetic add-on’. This integral approach to lightAlexander, Kaye. "Seeing the light", Architects' Journal, September 2008 led them to adopt the term ‘lighting architect’ to describe their role as ‘building with light as opposed to bricks and mortar’. Keith Bradshaw was appointed as a principal in 2009, and the studio was rebranded as Speirs + Major in August 2010, with the studio at that time terming themselves as 'designers who work with light' to reflect the breadth of skill in their team and to encompass their work that included not only lighting architecture, but strategy and branding projects as well as product and innovation. On 24 November 2020, the studio announced a change in name and brand identity to SPEIRS MAJOR LIGHT ARCHITECTURE to reflect their evolution from an atelier practice to a broader organisation headed by several Partners under the creative directorship of Keith Bradshaw and Mark Major. Moving away from 'designers working with light' they instated use of the term "Light Architecture" to better reflect their design ethos, describing themselves as having a "fascination with light, form, space and time." and a desire to "progressively and responsibly use light to improve the experience of the built environment, promote well-being and generate a unique sense of place.”
Notable projects K11 Musea, Hong Kong (2019) Interior lighting for Norwich Cathedral, Norwich, UK (2019) The Beverly Center, Los Angeles, United States (2018) The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience, Scotland, UK (2018) Gasholders London, Kings Cross, UK (2018) Gasholder Park, King's Cross, London, UK (2016) La Nuvola (The Cloud), EUR Congressi, Rome, Italy (2016) Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, Shenzhen, PRC (2015) Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, UK (2014) Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire, Airdrie, UK (2014) In Lumine Tuo (the lighting of the Dom Church and Dom Tower), Utrecht, The Netherlands (2013) Burlington Arcade, London (2012) Marianne North Gallery, Kew Gardens, London, UK (2011) Infinity Bridge, Stockton-on-Tees, UK (2009) Armani Fifth Avenue, New York City, USA (2009) 3 More London Riverside, London, UK (2009) Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE (2008) Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing, PRC (2008) Basulto, David. "Beijing Airport / Foster + Partners", Arch Daily, May 2008 The restoration of the Royal Festival Hall, London, UK (2007) Armani / Ginza flagship store, Tokyo, Japan (2007) Donoff, Elizabeth. "New Giorgio Armani Flagship Store in Toyko's Ginza District", Architectural Lighting Magazine, April 2008 BBC Scotland exterior lighting, Glasgow, UK (2007) Durham Lighting Strategy, Durham, UK (2007) "News Article: Durham Light and Darkness strategy", One North East, August 2007 Terminal 4, Barajas Airport, Madrid, Spain (2006) The interior of St Paul's Cathedral, London, UK (2006) The Sackler Crossing, Kew Gardens, London, UK (2006) Sadighian, David. "Speirs and Major treads lightly at the Sackler Crossing", Architectural Record, November 2007 30 St Mary Axe, (The Gherkin), London, UK (2004) The Copenhagen Opera House, Copenhagen, Denmark (2004) World Squares for All (Trafalgar Square) London, UK (2003) Gateshead Millennium Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK (2002) Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham, UK (2001) "The Magna Science Adventure Centre", Architectural Record The Millennium Dome, Greenwich, London, UK (2000) Burj Al Arab Hotel exterior, Dubai, UAE (1999)
RIBA Stirling Prize collaborations Speirs Major have designed lighting for a number of buildings that have either won or been nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture.
Stirling Prize winners: Maggie's Centre London (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners) in 2009 Terminal 4, Barajas Airport, Madrid (Richard Rogers Partnership) in 2006 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin), London (Foster and Partners) in 2004 The Gateshead Millennium Bridge (Wilkinson Eyre) in 2002 The Magna Centre, Rotherham (Wilkinson Eyre) in 2001 Stirling Prize shortlisted projects: The Macallan Distillery and Visitor Experience (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners) in 2019 Maggie's Centre Lanarkshire (Reiach and Hall Architect) in 2015 5, Aldermanbury Square, London (Eric Parry Architects) in 2009 The Royal Festival Hall Restoration (Allies and Morrison) in 2008 The Dresden Main Station Redevelopment (Foster and Partners) in 2007 The Phoenix Initiative, Coventry (MJP Architects) in 2004 The Dance Base, Grassmarket, Edinburgh (Malcolm Fraser Architects) in 2002
Recent awards Winner, Community + Public Realm, Lighting Design Awards 2017 Lighting Design Winner, FX Awards 2016 Outstanding Achievement, AL Light & Architecture Design Awards 2013 & 2015 Scottish Design Award 2015 IALD Radiance Award 2014 Winner, Heritage, Lighting Design Awards 2013 Design Practice of the Decade, Lighting Design Awards 2012 IALD Radiance Award 2010 PLD Recognition Award for Best New Project 2009 IALD Radiance Award 2009 IALD Radiance Award 2008 Light and Architecture Award 2008 FX Design Award for Best Lighting 2008 IESNA Award of Merit 2007 IESNA Award of Distinction 2007 Lighting Designer of the Year (UK) 2007 FX Design Award for Best Lighting 2007 FX Design Award for Best Lighting 2005 IALD Award of Excellence 2005 Lighting Designer of the Decade, Light Magazine (UK) 2005
Bibliography In 2006 Jonathan Speirs and Mark Major authored the book Made of Light: The Art of Light and Architecture, a series of visual essays on lighting design.Addy, Ben. "A little light reading", Building Services Journal, March 2006 The book is co-authored by Anthony Tischhauser and published by Swiss architectural publisher Birkhäuser."Made of Light: The Art of Light and Architecture", Amazon.com
Notes and references
External links Speirs Major Light Architecture website