Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Why Architectural Lighting LED for Commercial Buildings is a Growing Opportunity
- 3. Cree's Role – High Power & High Brightness LEDs for Architectural Projects
- 4. China & Asia-Pacific Growth: Large-scale Cityscape Lighting, Video Displays and Commercial Architecture
- 5. Key Trends in LED Architectural Lighting 2018-2020 – Custom Colour, Motion Video, Large Installations
- 6. How Lighting Designers and System Integrators Can Leverage Cree's Portfolio (and what to look for)
- 7. Conclusion
Architectural Lighting LED for Commercial Buildings: How Cree is Shaping the Market
December 2024
12 min read
Introduction
LED architectural lighting for commercial buildings has emerged as one of the key growth arenas in the lighting industry. From the vantage point of Cree, the market for architectural lighting, which includes feature lighting, large-scale façade illumination and full-motion LED building surfaces; is ripe for opportunity thanks to the LED technology evolution in high power and high brightness domains.
In this article we'll explore why this market is growing, how Cree's portfolio supports it, why China and Asia-Pacific are leading the charge, and what lighting designers and system integrators should pay attention to when deploying LED systems in commercial architecture.
Our thesis: As LED technology matures, the architectural lighting market for commercial buildings is shifting from functional to expressive; and those leveraging high-power/high-brightness LED solutions will lead the transformation.
Why Architectural Lighting LED for Commercial Buildings is a Growing Opportunity
Commercial buildings today are not just functional boxes; they are architectural statements, branding landmarks, and part of a building's experiential value.
Architectural lighting amplifies this value by turning façades, atriums, lobbies and public spaces into dynamic environments. LEDs play a major role because they deliver energy-efficiency, flexibility in colour and motion, and long lifetimes; attributes required for architectural lighting applications.
Market research indicates strong growth: for example, the global architectural lighting market was valued at USD 9.27 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 18 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8%. Asia-Pacific holds over 30% of the market share and is expected to grow rapidly due to urbanisation.
From Cree's vantage, commercial architecture plays to the strength of their portfolio of high-power/high-brightness LEDs. Customers in this segment value robustness and the ability to deliver custom colour and brightness binning for special projects (according to Cree). This alignment of technology and market need makes it a compelling opportunity.
Cree's Role – High Power & High Brightness LEDs for Architectural Projects
One of the unique positions Cree occupies in the architectural lighting market is its emphasis on high-power and high-brightness LED solutions that are capable of feature and façade illumination as well as video-grade colour display.
According to Cree, in the architectural lighting segment "Customers… value the robustness and breadth of our portfolio of both High Power and High Brightness LEDs. These kinds of requirements allow Cree to compete effectively."
In addition, in the interview Cree highlights three emerging trends they support:
• Large-scale illumination of cityscapes with colour LEDs up to motion-video displays across multiple large buildings.
• Growing use of large, high-fidelity full-motion signage and billboards in public venues.
• Use of bigger video displays in sports arenas and long-distance-viewing venues.
These trends illustrate how Cree's high power/high brightness LEDs are not simply replacing old lighting; they are enabling a new class of dynamic, architectural LED experiences.
For lighting designers and integrators, selecting trustworthy LED chips and modules (such as those from Cree) means you have access to binning precision (colour, brightness), reliability and integration readiness (for large-scale installations).
China & Asia-Pacific Growth: Large-Scale Cityscape Lighting, Video Displays and Commercial Architecture
China and the broader Asia-Pacific region are particularly notable in the architectural lighting transition. According to global market data, Asia-Pacific held over 30% market share in the architectural lighting market in 2023 and the region is expected to grow rapidly.
Cree cites Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Chongqing and Wuhan as major areas where their LEDs have been deployed in architectural illumination projects; ranging from landmark buildings, cityscape façades to dynamic bridge and large-building video installations.
These large-scale installations demand not just static lighting but dynamic colour motion, built-in video-capability across façades, and robustness in outdoor conditions. With high urbanisation in China, commercial real-estate developers, city-brand planners, theme-parks and entertainment venues are all increasingly adopting LED architectural lighting systems.
For system integrators, this means that the Asia-Pacific region offers some of the most ambitious architectural lighting projects currently available; so the LED portfolio, supply chain reliability and integration support become differentiators.
Key Trends in LED Architectural Lighting 2018-2020 – Custom Colour, Motion Video, Large Installations
During the period 2018-2020 (and continuing beyond), several architectural lighting trends emerged that are relevant to commercial buildings and feature installations:
Custom Colour & Brightness Binning: LEDs with fine colour control and brightness uniformity allow consistent façade lighting across large surfaces and between fixtures; for architectural accuracy and brand conformity (Cree emphasises custom colour/brightness binning).
Motion-Video on Facades/Cityscapes: Rather than static illumination, multi-building surfaces are being designed as large LED canvases, supporting motion video, gradients, colour-waves and interactive lighting. Cree specifically mentions large scale motion video displays across multiple large buildings.
Large-Scale Installations & Signage Integration: Public venues, retail malls, airports, bridges, buildings are adopting large, high-fidelity LED installations with both functional illumination and expressive lighting. Cree points to "progressively larger and higher fidelity full-motion signage and billboards in all public venues."
Beyond Aesthetics – Performance & Sustainability: Though aesthetic impact is important, commercial building owners also demand performance: energy efficiency, long lifetime, maintenance reduction, and LED robustness in exterior conditions.
System Integration & Service Support: With complex installations (cityscapes, video façades), LED manufacturers' support and system integrator partnerships become critical. Cree mentions working alongside systems integrators like EXC-LED, Shenzhen Leifei, Galaxie Lanjing, etc.
These trends show how LED architectural lighting for commercial buildings is evolving from basic façade wash to complex, interactive, large-scale LED systems; bringing opportunities for integrators, designers, LED manufacturers and building owners.
How Lighting Designers and System Integrators Can Leverage Cree's Portfolio (and what to look for)
For lighting designers, integrators, building owners or specifiers working on commercial architectural lighting, here are some practical take-aways when considering high-power/high-brightness LEDs such as those offered by Cree:
Select LEDs with Proven Binning & Uniformity: Large-scale façade installations demand consistency in colour and brightness. Working with OEMs/manufacturers that offer custom brightness and colour binning ensures long-term visual coherence.
Ensure High Power & Brightness Capability: Façade lighting, large signage, or motion-video building surfaces often require LED modules that deliver high luminance and robust outdoor performance. Cree emphasises their high power/high brightness portfolio.
Material & Thermal Robustness: Exterior architectural lighting must withstand weather, thermal cycling, outdoor stresses and long lifetimes. LED modules with robust packaging and thermal management reduce maintenance costs.
Integration with Systems & Control: Especially for motion video, colour waves, cityscape illumination, you must integrate the LED modules with control systems, drivers and system integrators. Cree names system integrator partners in China and globally.
Global Supply & Support for Large-Scale Projects: For major commercial building or city-scale installations, the manufacturer and supply chain must reliably support large volume, consistent modules, and global coordination.
Consider Sustainability & Total Cost of Ownership: Beyond the aesthetic spectacle, building owners will evaluate energy consumption, maintenance cost, lifetime, and brand value. The LED architectural lighting upgrade should be justifiable on these fronts.
By paying attention to these factors and evaluating LED modules and supplier ecosystems (such as Cree's offering and partner network), designers and integrators can better position themselves in the evolving commercial architectural lighting market.
Conclusion
In summary, LED architectural lighting for commercial buildings is not just a substitution of old technology; it's a transformation of how buildings, façades and entire cityscapes are illuminated and used for brand-experience, architecture and public engagement.
Cree's focus on high power/high brightness LEDs, custom colour/brightness binning, and large-scale installations aligns perfectly with that transformation. As the market; especially in China and the Asia-Pacific region; continues its rapid growth, building owners, designers and integrators who can master LED architectural lighting will gain a competitive edge.
If you're working on a commercial building, façade upgrade, city-scape illumination or large-venue lighting project, your next step should be: review your LED module portfolio against these performance criteria, engage with an experienced system integrator, and begin to evaluate how high-power/high-brightness LED solutions can elevate your architectural lighting strategy.