David Atkinson
David Atkinson, was named Lighting Designer of the Year in 2011 and has won numerous international awards since forming DALD more than 30 years ago. Many of the practice’s architectural schemes are informed by David’s early background in theatre, film, music and fashion lighting.
David studied at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art and then worked in disciplines such as TV and commercial presentations before entering the architectural lighting field. The broad range of talent assembled by DALD is often directed at creating synergy between a venue’s architecture and the visitor experience.
DALD’s design for the interior and exterior lighting of Foster + Partners’ United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo, for example, combined subtly layered architectural, landscape and theatrical techniques, to award-winning effect. A key element of the interior lighting was the invisibility of its source.
DALD was also responsible for the lighting element of visitor experience design, which included interactive touch displays and a theatre.
