Building facade lighting
Facade lighting that reveals the building's form after dark.
- Shanghai Xionglan Culture Communication Co., Ltd. (brand: Xionglan Art)
- Shanghai-based workshop · delivery in 67 Chinese cities
- 10 capability groups / 102 individual techniques · design, fabrication and installation in-house
- Phone +86 156 0163 6249 · Mon–Sun 09:00–18:00 (CST)
Facade lighting is architecture after dark: it should show the building's structure rather than flatten it. We design the effect around the elevations, then engineer the fittings, routing and control that deliver it.
Commissioned work in building facade lighting normally runs from 6 to 30 m², with 14–33 working days in production from approved drawings. The reference range for this technique is CNY 180–800 per m², quoted itemised. It sits within our Architectural Lighting & Light Art capability, alongside 7 related techniques, and the 4-point deliverable below is what a commission includes as standard.
When building facade lighting is the right answer - and when it is not
Stair and circulation lighting is chosen where a vertical or continuous route needs to be legible, safe and pleasant, usually with no daylight and often in a building that is occupied around the clock. It suits residential cores, office atria, hotels and public buildings. The design responsibility sits between decoration and life safety, so statutory escape lighting and architectural lighting must both be resolved and clearly separated.
How the work is actually carried out
The route is studied as a sequence, since the experience is of moving through, not of standing still. Lighting is designed to guide - revealing the treads, marking the landings, giving a sense of the floor level - with glare controlled so it does not dazzle someone descending. Fixtures are selected for the maintenance reality: long-life sources and access that does not require scaffolding in a stair core. Emergency lighting is designed as a separate, certified system, and the architectural scheme is coordinated around it rather than compromising it.
Typical applications
Typical specifications
| Design | Night-time renders and lux levels agreed before specification |
|---|---|
| Fittings | IP65+ exterior LED, linear, flood and projection |
| Control | Astronomical time clock, DALI or DMX scene control |
| Lead time | 8-16 weeks including design and commissioning |
| Capability | Architectural Lighting & Light Art |
| Reference range | CNY 180–800 per m² |
| Techniques in this capability | 8 |
| Coverage | Shanghai base, nationwide delivery, overseas projects on request |
Reference price bands for Building facade lighting
Indicative only, based on the scope normally quoted for building facade lighting. A firm price follows a site survey and an itemised quotation split into material, labour, finishing, packing and freight.
| Scope | Typical area | Reference total | Unit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small area | 6–15 m² | CNY 1,080 – CNY 12,000 | approx. CNY 800/m² |
| Standard area | 15–36 m² | CNY 2,700 – CNY 28,800 | approx. CNY 490/m² |
| Large area | 36 m² and above | CNY 6,480+ | approx. CNY 180/m² |
Build tiers for building facade lighting
Building facade lighting is not one product at one size: the table below is the same scope ladder we quote on, so you can see where your project sits before asking for a price.
| Build tier | Typical area | Production days | What changes at this tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 6–30 m² | 10–25 | Up to 30 m², one substrate and one access setup, 10–25 days in the workshop. |
| Tier 2 | 6–30 m² | 15–35 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 15–35 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 3 | 6–30 m² | 8–20 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 8–20 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 4 | 6–30 m² | 10–25 | 6–30 m² across two or more faces, 10–25 days, substrate build-up agreed per location. |
| Tier 5 | 6–30 m² | 25–60 | 6 m² and above, multiple substrate types and phased access, 25–60 days with a join and numbering plan. |
What we deliver
- Lighting design, photometric calculation and mock-up testing
- Facade, landscape, and festival lighting installation
- Projection mapping and programmable light shows
- Control systems, dimming and maintenance access planning
Faults we see most often in building facade lighting
Each of these is a field failure rather than a workshop one, and each is cheaper to prevent at enquiry stage than to correct after installation.
- Treating the architectural lighting and the emergency lighting as one system, which satisfies neither the design nor the regulations.
- Specifying fittings that need frequent lamp changes in a stair core, where access is difficult and expensive.
- Designing for a view from one landing, when the experience is continuous and the glare problem is at eye level going down.
What to settle before an overseas project starts
| Route and occupancy | Tell us how the space is used and at what hours. Circulation lighting is designed as a sequence, not as a set of isolated positions. |
|---|---|
| Emergency lighting | Confirm who is providing the certified escape lighting and to what standard. Architectural lighting is coordinated around it. |
| Maintenance access | Tell us how fittings will be reached and changed. In stair cores this shapes the fixture choice more than aesthetics. |
Working with us from overseas
Enquiry to installation, one point of contact. Export packing, shipping, commercial terms and quality control →
Design intent and what drives the cost
| Technique | Building facade lighting |
|---|---|
| Positioning | Facade lighting that reveals the building's form after dark. |
| Floor area normally quoted | 6–30 m² per commission |
| Typical production window | 14–33 working days from approved drawings |
| Main cost drivers | Area and repetition; substrate preparation; detail and modelling time; surface finish; access and working hours |
| What we quote separately | Material, labour, finishing, packing, freight and site measures - each as its own line |
Representative work
Architectural Lighting & Light Art projects photographed on completion.
Architectural Lighting & Light Art — Festoon & strip lighting
Architectural Lighting & Light Art — Landscape lighting
Architectural Lighting & Light Art — Festoon & strip lighting
Architectural Lighting & Light Art — Festival light decorationCommon questions
Will the lighting disturb neighbours or the sky?
What maintenance is required?
Will the lighting disturb neighbours?
Discuss building facade lighting
Send photographs, drawings or a 3D file with approximate dimensions. You will get a technique recommendation, a reference price band and a production schedule.