Rise, Flow & Shine

For the headquarters of ONGC, India’s primary oil and gas provider, the lighting concept was conceived as an abstract expression of energy in its purest form. Designed by Hafeez Contractor, the architecture draws inspiration from the stratified layers of the earth’s crust. Atelier dada extended this narrative through a poetic lighting vision, translating the act of extracting natural resources from deep within the ground into a luminous language.

The lighting strategy is articulated around three dynamic principles: Energy Rise, Energy Flow and Energy Shine.
Energy Rise is expressed through subtle grazing light that gently caresses the metallic woven mesh behind the façade’s structural framework, symbolizing the quiet emergence of energy from the depths of the earth.
Energy Flow introduces movement along the patterns of the metal grille, suggesting the circulation of energy through invisible channels.
Energy Shine is revealed through integrated media screens embedded within the woven mesh, emitting a vibrant and radiant light that represents the final manifestation of energy at the surface.

The ONGC headquarters project reached Atelier dada after nearly nine years of architectural development. Situated next to a major commercial landmark, the initial façade concept sought to evoke the Indian flag through linear LED bars combined with a shimmering metallic mesh. Atelier dada was invited to bring cohesion to the façade through lighting design and media content, as the pre-selected equipment presented technical and expressive limitations.

Working exclusively with the materials already procured, Atelier dada developed a lighting strategy rooted in symbolism rather than spectacle. Inspired by the geological layering of the earth’s crust, the final concept narrates the extraction of energy through a restrained, mysterious play of light, allowing architecture and meaning to converge in a powerful and dignified nocturnal presence.