Obayashi Corporation

08/18/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/17/2026 17:34

The Grand Ring Wins 'Award of Excellence' at the IES Illumination Awards

The Grand Ring Wins "Award of Excellence" at the IES Illumination Awards

August 18, 2026

Sustainability

On August 14, 2026, the awards ceremony for the 2026 IES Illumination Awards was held in Colorado, U.S.A., and the Grand Ring, whose design and construction involved Obayashi Corporation, was selected for an Award of Excellence in the Illumination Award for Outdoor Lighting Design category.

Organized by the Illuminating Engineering Society, which is known as an authority on lighting science, the IES Illumination Awards are international lighting design awards specializing in illumination design. The awards recognize professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting design, and the Award of Excellence is awarded for an exceptional contribution to the art and science of light.

Illumination Award for Outdoor Lighting Design - Award of Excellence

The Grand Ring

This drone view shows the Grand Ring standing out against the surrounding venue, creating a sense of brightness even at low light levels.

The Grand Ring was constructed as the symbol of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, and is the world's largest timber architectural structure. At night, its lighting design impressively highlights the powerful beauty of the timber structure, which incorporates Japan's traditional Nuki joints.

Under the lighting concept "A New Night," the lighting design creates a nighttime experience in which the Grand Ring appears to float gently, as changing colors inspired by Japan's traditional Twenty-Four Solar Terms are blended with the passage of time.

On the ground-level Ground Walk, the lighting provides appropriate illumination for roads, plazas, open spaces and other areas, while presenting the timber structure in soft light. On the second-level Sky Walk, the lighting supports pedestrian flow with gentle, linear light. In addition, AI-based cameras monitor pedestrian density and control lighting patterns in real time, achieving efficient energy savings while maintaining safety, comfort and visibility.

The lighting uses colors inspired by Japan's traditional Twenty-Four Solar Terms to create a graceful transition from twilight to night.
During the dusk phase leading up to sunset, light levels are gradually raised to match the way visitors' eyes adjust to the darkening conditions.
Award-winning companies Obayashi Corporation, Takenaka Corporation, Shimizu Corporation, LIGHTDESIGN INC., Panasonic Corporation

Obayashi will continue to contribute to the realization of a better society by providing buildings of outstanding design that bring comfort and prosperity through the harmony of tradition and advanced technology.

Obayashi Corporation published this content on August 18, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 17, 2026 at 23:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]