Luminarium: LUXART by Architects of Air

LUXART is a bespoke Luminarium created by Alan Parkinson for Battersea Power Station. A Luminarium is an inhabitable sculpture: a temporary architecture designed to awaken wonder. Within these softly glowing chambers, light becomes a tactile presence, a companion for reflection, reverie, and quiet inspiration.​

In LUXART, Parkinson deepens his lifelong exploration of how illumination can be captured, blended, and transformed within curved, translucent surfaces. The result is an environment that feels both intimate and radiant. Here, light is not simply cast; it is choreographed. It seems to bounce, pool, drift, and flow across the architecture, creating the uncanny sensation of moving through a liquid, living substance.​

THE EXPERIENCE

THE JOURNEY BEGINS​

The visitor’s experience opens in the reception tent, a bright, yellow saturated space that offers the first encounter with colour. Shoes are removed in warm light before one steps into the airlock, a dim chamber where soft blue glows through low windows and flashes of red shimmer overhead as the internal pressure rises.​

THE GREEN DOME

​Passing through the inner door, one emerges into the soaring Green Dome, rising 6.5 metres high. This antechamber serves as a gentle threshold, a moment of calm before the sensory richness of LUXART. Green, the most natural of the Luminarium’s hues, settles the mind and prepares the visitor for the intensities ahead. The first red windows appear here—vivid, luminous apertures that hint at the radiance waiting deeper inside.

THE RED TREE​

From the Green Dome, visitors enter a newly conceived red chamber that hosts the extraordinary Radiant Red Tree. Its glowing trunk rises skyward, drawing the eye upward in a gesture of awe. Surrounding it, serene azure pods invite visitors to sit, reflect, and absorb the atmosphere —spaces of stillness within the chromatic drama.​

THE BLUE HELIX DOME​

The path then leads to the spiralling tracery of the Blue Helix Dome, a majestic space rising to 6 metres. Its expansive vault is supported by interwoven spirals inspired by Gaudí’s work at Park Güell. Two intimate pods nestle within this chamber, offering cocoon like spaces ideal for contemplation. Green windows punctuate the blue, creating unique colour reflections that shift with every movement.​

THE GOLDEN SPACE & BLUE TREE​

Parkinson has crafted a unique environment for Battersea in the Golden Space, where green column blend with yellow skylights to create a golden, sun‑drenched atmosphere. Here, too, pods offer places of calm—sanctuaries for reflection amid the chaos of daily life. Another surprise awaits in the Blue Tree Chamber, where visitors are immersed in royal blue light. Bulbous branches swell overhead, encouraging a natural upward gaze and evoking a gentle, restorative sense of wonder.​

THE CUPOLA

The journey culminates in the pièce de résistance: an awe‑inspiring dome shaped by sacred geometry and touched with Art Nouveau sensibilities. Intricate interwoven seam patterns evoke the beauty of stained glass and the decorative arts of the early 20th century. This chamber is not only visually arresting but acoustically resonant, making it an extraordinary setting for meditation — an experience that feels almost otherworldly within its luminous embrace.​

ABOUT THE STUDIO – Architects of Air​

Since 1992 Architects of Air, a Nottingham based company, has built 30+ Luminaria, made over 600 exhibitions, and toured in 45+ countries where over 4 million visitors have immersed themselves in the luminous world of Architects of Air. ​

Architects of Air believes in the social value of the Luminaria. Our mission is to collaborate and co-create with host partners who are committed to enriching their communities. A successful exhibition requires a significant investment of time and resources from a presenter, and we work to ensure their investment is worthwhile.​

Inclusivity is central to our vision. We are dedicated to making our Luminaria as accessible as possible, welcoming the widest audience to share in the experience.​

We are committed to the continuous evolution of our Luminaria – refining their architectural functionality while deepening their role as vessels for the transformative power of light. To help sustain and grow this unique art form, we openly share our creative practice.​

ABOUT THE ARTIST – Alan Parkinson ​

Founder, designer and artistic director Alan Parkinson first started experimenting with pneumatic scultures in the 1980s and has since developed his own language of form in this immersive, inflatable art medium.

“When I enter one of our Luminaria, I’m still struck by the beauty of light and colour. As a designer, that continued sense of wonder is my motivation to keep exploring how this inflatable architecture can be made to present light in new and engaging ways.”​