Dance of Lights

At twilight, the twisting silhouettes of the two Mondeal Heights towers, designed by Blocher Partners for HN Safal, seem to resonate through a grazing light that enhances their illusion of movement. In the early concept stage, an initial idea explored dynamic beams of light, like two opposing breaths drawing the towers together or pushing them apart, marking each hour with a brief luminous dialogue. A suspended vision, ultimately not retained for implementation, yet one that continues to inhabit the project’s imaginary landscape. From 9 pm onward, as the offices fall silent, the realised lighting scenario unfolds with its own quiet magic: a nocturnal prayer to Shri Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. The façades become lanterns shimmering in the sky, recalling the flames of Diya, symbols of welcome in Indian culture. Through dynamic LEDs integrated into the window niches, atelier dada created a matrix of “flames” whose subtle movements seem to invoke harmony and good fortune within the stillness of the business district at night. Ideally, these lanterns would have risen only at the beginning of each hour, giving the façade a slower, more economical, more sensitive rhythm. The client preferred continuous illumination; and perhaps you, dear reader, might have imagined with us this hourly breath, playing with the towers’ envelope to reveal time more delicately across the skyline.