Sector · Shop & Mall
Flagship stores, department stores, malls and brand spaces — designed to make product, material and architecture read at first glance.
Our approach
Retail lighting is the meeting point of perception and intent. The customer's eye travels along a path the lighting designer has authored — from facade to threshold, to the focal product, to the fitting room, to the till. When that path is honest, the brand is read clearly and the visit is enjoyable. When it is forced, the product looks cheap and the customer leaves.
Lichtvision has designed lighting for global flagship stores, department stores, malls and concept spaces for more than two decades. We work alongside brand teams and interior architects to translate visual identity into a precise photometric brief — every spotlight, every wallwash, every reflected ceiling plan.
Product must read as it does in daylight. We specify high-CRI sources and validate optics using TM-30 metrics from the IES — fidelity, gamut and hue-distortion — to make sure fabric, leather, skin tones, food and finishes are represented faithfully. Generic CRI numbers are a starting point, not the answer.
Retail interiors need contrast to feel alive. We design ambient luminance low enough that accent lighting on product reads at three- to five-to-one ratios — the rhythm that the eye reads as 'this matters'. The result is a store that feels curated rather than illuminated.
The first impression is exterior. We design facade lighting and threshold transitions so the store feels open and inviting after dark, signage reads cleanly without light spill, and the lit composition respects neighbouring tenants and the urban context — including DarkSky principles where applicable.
What we design
Bespoke lighting compositions tuned to brand voice and architectural language.
Public realm, anchor zones, common circulation and tenant lighting guidelines.
Skin-true colour rendering, glare-free fitting rooms and dedicated mirror lighting.
Spectra tuned for produce, baked goods and prepared foods, with cold-aisle compatibility.
Selected work
Frequently asked
Standards & references
Selected international guidance and professional bodies that inform our shop & mall practice.
IES — Illuminating Engineering Society ↗
Recommended practice documents and TM-30 colour rendering metrics.
IALD — International Association of Lighting Designers ↗
Global professional association we contribute to.
CIBSE — Lighting Guides (LG series) ↗
UK-recognised guides for offices, retail, museums and exteriors.
DarkSky International ↗
Outdoor lighting principles we apply to facades and urban realms.
LEED v4 — Indoor Environmental Quality ↗
Daylight and electric lighting credits we frequently target.
Start a conversation
We are happy to review a brief, visit a site, or sit down with your architect. Our studios in Berlin, London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Barcelona cover most of the world within a day's flight.
