light designer
Rogier van der Heide
“My work speaks quietly for me. Beyond technology or craft, light is a gesture. I work with light to create places that carry memory and meaning.”
Rogier has always worked with light. 1994, he founded his the atelier — the first of its kind to approach light holistically, bridging architecture, imagery, and emotion.
The practice was later acquired by Arup, where Rogier grew Arup Lighting into a global studio of over 70 lighting designers under his artistic and business leadership.
In 2010, he joined Philips as Chief Design Officer and Vice President, leading all corporate design activities for one of the world’s largest lighting companies.
Today, Rogier continues to empower clients with imaginative, context-sensitive light, while staying connected to the next generation of designers through lectures, workshops, and mentorship. He also founded the Amsterdam Light Festival, now one of the world’s leading public events dedicated to light art.
What other people say
"A LIGHTING GENIUS"
Metropolis Magazine called Rogier "a genius master of light."
Arc Magazine wrote "lighting design guru Rogier van der Heide."
"The light is from heaven"
Upon opening of the Rijksmuseum, Dutch quality newspaper NRC wrote "the light is from heaven."
"Finally something intellectual at LightFair."
"Filled with authority"
Spanish paper Valencia Plaza: "The antagonistic question of light and darkness is usually answered with bombastic, empty phrases. However, that of Rogier van der Heide is filled with authority".
Light design
"In theatre or architecture, light inspires, attracts, and tells a story. Your story."
Rogier van der Heide is one of the world's best-known light designers. His work bridges science and story, architecture and atmosphere. Over a 35-year career, he has helped shape the experience of public and cultural buildings through light; working at the intersection of conservation, performance, and emotional resonance.
Rogier is best known for his lighting of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Apple Stores, Louis Vuitton, Prada, the BBC Broadcasting House in London, and most recently the MiSK Art Institute in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His projects balance material sensitivity with deep technical knowledge.
In addition to light design, Rogier has led global design teams in industry (Philips, Zumtobel, Miele) and has taught widely on the future of light as a medium. His atelier works internationally, in close dialogue with architects, curators, and engineers.
Salone del Mobile recently profiled Rogier as “the pioneer of lighting design,” noting how his work transforms perception without spectacle, creating space not through fixtures but through the quality of light itself.