Rogier van der Heide at Euroluce: natural light as a design experience

During the latest edition of Euroluce – Salone del Mobile.Milano, Dutch lighting designer Rogier van der Heide, regarded as one of the great international masters of light, brought the focus back to a theme that often risks being overlooked: the importance of natural light.

According to van der Heide, true understanding of light comes from direct experience: observing how the sun and sky interact with glass, surfaces, and materials. It is not just about lighting calculations, but about experiencing light as an integral part of architecture.

A holistic approach to design

In his talk, van der Heide emphasized that light should not be considered as something added to architecture, but as an element that creates space and shapes its perception.
Shadows, reflections, and transparencies thus become design tools capable of generating emotional experiences and influencing people’s well-being.

In more than thirty years of career – with projects for clients such as Apple, BBC, Louis Vuitton, and the Stedelijk Museum – the designer has shown how light can redefine the identity of a place and transform the way we experience it.

Natural light as a sustainable resource

One of the strongest messages emerging from his talk concerns the future of lighting design:

“The most powerful and sustainable source of light is the sun, and we are only at the beginning of fully understanding its potential in design.”

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxyqunnXj3zgpo7pekrTBIKwe_nriTb4px?si=TzvN_w9cz1pfyMhP

An invitation to rethink architectural design from its very foundations, integrating natural light into materials, façades, and spatial logic.
Not just lamps and control systems, but buildings able to interact with the sun and sky, becoming luminous devices themselves.

Experience, research, and education

Alongside his projects, Rogier van der Heide has always devoted great attention to training new generations of lighting designers.
His masterclasses – such as the one held in Naples – aim to bridge the gap between artistic vision and scientific knowledge, passing on the ability to create authentic light experiences rather than mere technical solutions.

A shared perspective

Van der Heide’s message strongly resonates with our work as well: understanding and valuing natural light means designing spaces that are more sustainable, more human, and more inspiring.
In an era when technology allows anyone to produce “correct” lighting layouts, the real difference is made by the profound experience of light.

The project for the Misk Art Institute in Riyadh

A significant example of this approach is the lighting design for the Misk Art Institute in Riyadh, a project by Dutch architect Anne Holtrop.
Here Rogier van der Heide thoroughly studied the behavior of natural light through the glass façades, turning them not only into an architectural element but into a living surface capable of reflecting, diffusing, and modulating light throughout the day.

The result is a space where the relationship between inside and outside becomes fluid, and where natural light not only illuminates but shapes the museum experience and contributes to the very identity of the building.
A concrete example of how light design can go beyond technique to become culture and emotion.

https://www.rogiervanderheide.com/misk/#2

📺 Watch the full talk here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5O4c8AvZLs]