A diamond of light in the urban skyline

How can we illuminate an office tower discreetly yet elegantly? How can light connect a building to its name and architectural logic, turning it into a meaningful urban presence in the city?

In 2011, the Solitair project marked a decisive moment for Atelier dada in India, becoming our first outdoor lighting commission in Ahmedabad. In a city that lacked a lighting masterplan and a coherent nocturnal identity, this project laid the foundations for a new and inspiring luminous signature.

Among several conceptual directions, the client chose a poetic abstraction of a solitaire diamond, echoing the tower’s name. This interpretation translated into a lighting design that is both playful and refined. During the day, small cubic elements, randomly scattered across the two blind façades, subtly attract attention through their enigmatic simplicity. At night, these cubes visually dissolve, giving way to precise beams of light aligned with the building’s ventilation grids, while additional luminous lines appear as if by magic.

Each façade becomes a distinct constellation, engaging in dialogue with the architectural grid and revealing the building through rhythm, alignment and controlled contrast. Static and economical in its means, the project nonetheless carries a strong ambition.

By establishing a poetic and accessible lighting language, Solitair became the first gem in a luminous necklace, initiating Atelier dada’s long-term vision to gently constellate the city’s urban skyline.