id50 2025- Paul Nulty

Can you let us know about the latest exciting projects that you are working on? 

It’s difficult to single out any one project. It’s natural to gravitate towards projects like Qiddiya and The Red Sea Project that are making waves, or developments in cities like Jeddah and AlUla that are steeped in heritage, but our smaller schemes are just as inspiring – we see the value in every one of our projects.

What I love is the sheer variety of our work. We’re involved with global headquarters, setting the standards for what great workspace design looks like, and hotels all around the world redefining luxury. Asia is a great market for retail right now and the momentum of the Middle East gives us the scope to work on citywide masterplans. We’re also designing the lighting for a truly innovative car showroom. It’s an exciting time to be part of the team.

Please share some of your proudest achievements as a firm (Top 3)

My proudest achievement is always the culture that we’ve built across our 8 studios. Keeping our designers inspired and empowered remains our number one focus, because we know that happy and engaged designers are the key to great work.

We also had a big moment at the end of last year, when we acquired Klaasen Lighting Design and bolstered our team with an incredible pool of new talent. And we’re already looking ahead to Nulty’s next big milestone – the 10-year anniversary of our Dubai studio. When you’re busy it’s great to have these moments to reflect on how far the team’s come, and how much we’ve grown together as a brand.

Ministry of Tourism HQ, KSA

Can you talk about a type of project that you would like to take on in 2025 that would interest you and your team to pursue (dream project that you would like to manifest)?

Isambard Kingdom Brunel is one of my greatest inspirations, so illuminating a bridge would be very special. Bridges are where the science of engineering and the beauty of architecture meet – to enhance that with light is arguably one of the ultimate tests for a designer.

How would you describe your design philosophy?

Our design philosophy hasn’t changed since day one – we use light to breathe life into a space and emotionally connect people with that environment – but our approach is continually shifting because the world is a very different place. Thesectors that we specialize in are more fluid, due to the rise of experiential design and broader issues like wellness, inclusivity, and sustainability. Projects are more complex as a result, so there’s a lot of problem solving and new fields of research to master. It makes being a designer more interesting, and every project is an opportunity to learn and grow.

As this is the power issue, what empowers you and your team?

The paradox of being a lighting designer is that when we do our job properly, a space should come alive without anyone noticing the lighting. Everything is illuminated, but it’s intangible and all about the way light emanates from the ceiling to create ambience, or how it draws the gaze through a space to create permeability. These details elevate the experience, in a way that people aren’t always aware of – the emotional resonance of light, that’s what drives us as designers.

View the visionaries.

View the complete id50 2025 list.