the colour of light

The Colour of Light: James Turrell and Interior Lighting Design

James Turrell’s work reveals light as something to be experienced, not simply used. In his Skyspaces and immersive installations, light becomes a living material : silent, atmospheric, and deeply connected to perception.

This research examines how Turrell’s approach can inform contemporary interior lighting design, where illumination is not only functional, but emotional and spatial. Light can soften boundaries, alter scale, change the mood of a room, and create a sense of presence. It can transform interiors into places of stillness, contemplation, and sensory awareness.

Through this perspective, lighting design becomes a poetic practice: a way of shaping atmosphere, perception, and the inner experience of space.

DEPALO S., The colour of light: influence of James Turrell’s work on contemporary interior lighting design, International Scientific and Professional Conference Politehnika 2025, Thematic Section Editors, Belgrade: The Academy of Applied Studies Polytechnic, 2025, pp 816-822, ISBN 978-86-7498-146-7