Senior Lighting Designer
SKILLS
FULL DESCRIPTION
New Team Member – Elena Poles
[Employer hidden — view at passion-project.co.uk] is delighted to welcome Elena Poles to their team as a senior lighting designer. Elena, an interior design graduate from Politecnico di Milano, discovered her passion for architectural lighting through an internship in Indonesia, focusing on high-end hospitality projects. She progressed to a senior role in a London-based consultancy, working on large-scale projects involving media and biophilic lighting design. At EQUATION, she will combine her media and technical expertise to create tailored lighting solutions.
About Elena Poles
Elena is an interior design graduate from Politecnico di Milano, who discovered her passion for architectural lighting during an internship in Indonesia, working on high-end hospitality projects worldwide. After progressing to a senior role in a London-based consultancy, she focused on large-scale projects incorporating media and biophilic lighting design. At [Employer hidden], Elena combines her media and technical expertise to create tailored, captivating lighting solutions for our clients.
We asked her to answer three questions, and here is what she shared with us.
Q: How has living and working in such diverse places as Milan, Indonesia, London, and the Middle East influenced your approach to design and creativity?
A: Living in different parts of the world has opened my mind to different ways of approaching design. Each country values one aspect more than the others, and this has helped me understand each client’s aspirations, interests, and taste. It is also a great advantage when it comes to look & feel and decorative lighting, as I’m familiar with manufacturers from all over the world!
Q: How would you define your relationship with light, and what does light mean to you in your work?
A: Lighting has always fascinated me since my very first lighting course at uni. I think the idea of transforming a space with lighting – an intangible tool – is incredibly inspiring. It forces us designers to use our imagination and to be curious, discover new products and new ways of achieving lighting effects. It also gives us specialist lighting designers the opportunity to work with great architects and designers to create unique, breathtaking spaces.
Q: Can you share a passion you have outside of the lighting world that contributes to your work and inspires your designs?
A: I have an insane love for theatre. Whenever I have the chance, I go and see a new play or musical here in London, and no New York visit is complete with a couple of Broadway shows. Stage lighting is something that has always intrigued me as it easily shifts from background to main protagonist in a split second. It gives me the inspiration to use it as a tool in my day-to-day work and present clients with quiet and subtle or quite a dramatic lighting, depending on their vision and my design instincts.
We look forward to celebrating our successes and new endeavours together!