Fu Li, pictured above, is co-founder of Beijing PRO Lighting Design Co Ltd, a former WAN Award winner. The China based firm won a silver WAN Award in 2022 for its Ice Cube -XinXiang Cultural Tourism Centre project in China’s Henan Province (pictured below). The tourist centre features nine "ice cubes" arranged around and on top of each other in a twisting formation.
One of Fu's favourite past projects, it uses lighting to powerful effect. By day the ice cubes’ glass walls appear a cool and stylish white, while at nighttime colourful lights of blue, white and purple magically transform the sculptural building into a fairy tale art installation.
Blue and white tones give the impression of ice and snow, while the subtle blue and purple tones resemble ice flowers. The dreamy colours flow slowly up the cubes and reflect off each other.
“In the past 14 years, my partners and I, together with colleagues from Beijing Pro Lighting Co Ltd, have completed nearly 500 projects. I believe that every project has something noteworthy and worth mentioning. If I had to pick out five particularly special projects, Beijing Railway Station, Kunming Overseas Center, Ice Cube -XinXiang Cultural Tourism Center, Beijing Crland Phoenix Street, and the studio of a contemporary artist would be in my top five," Fu says.
Fu believes that lighting designers have the power to “connect users, spaces, architecture, and environments.”
“Too many designers are talking about light fixtures themselves, discussing how to apply light fixtures, how to control light, etc. But I think that a lighting designer should first understand light, know when the light is the most beautiful, when it is the most powerful, when it is the most romantic, when it is the most spectacular, when it is the most gentle,” she says.
“Light is often overlooked. Most people think that light is bright and serves as a lighting function for the night. But I think this is only a small part of the value of light. The greater value of light is to soothe the heart, and good light in a space can help people achieve quiet relaxation, inner joy, and even anticipation of the future,” she adds.
During the pandemic Fu spent a year and a half making a documentary about light, "Light as It Appears in the World". Filming the beautiful light that is often overlooked around us, it has gone on to win several accolades, including this year's Angelis Documentary Award in the United States.
“My goal in producing the documentary was to make more people aware that the value of light goes far beyond illuminating a space. The true value of light is to illuminate the heart and enter your life, making everything better,” she says.
Fu reveals that her role has evolved with the firm over the past 14 years at Beijing Pro Lighting Co Ltd.
“My work focus has changed slightly in recent years,” she says.
“For some projects, I will participate in the early conceptual stage and the later stage of on-site adjustment, and the process of deepening the drawings will be completed by my colleagues after communication. I like starting a project by working with my colleagues to sort out and analyze the local culture, and combine it with the design concept to create a warm and story-rich work.”
Fu has several current projects underway, including a 200,000 square metre conference centre in Chongqing and a hotel to meet the needs of the conference center.
“It should be a very grand and ambitious project when completed,” she says.
The firm has also designed the lighting scheme for a resort hotel on Dong'ao Island in Zhuhai.
“It’s a very romantic place,” says Fu.
“We have designed the hotel's lighting in a very romantic and relaxed way. Another interesting project we are currently designing is a hotel for China's most famous baijiu brand, Maotai. This project uses many visual imaging forms other than traditional lighting techniques to express the baijiu culture, which is known worldwide as a Chinese liquor.”
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Photo credits: TOPIA VISION