What would Christmas be without lights? The shining-star tree topper, the twinkling icicle fixtures, the glow-in-the-dark plastic Nativity scenes. Come to think of it, a little illumination makes everything better: parties, romantic dinners, even buildings. Yup, we’re suckers for glow-in-the-dark, lit-up facades — especially now during the winter months, when the days are short and the nights long. So to get even further into the holiday spirit, we’ve collected some pretty sparkling examples of illuminated architecture. Click through to see our 10 picks, and make sure you share your favorites in the comments section below!

by Sandra Pfeifer

posted in top ten Uncategorized

tagged America's Cup Pavilion, Architecture, Ars Electronica Center, Baumschlager Eberle, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Brisac Gonzalez Architects, china, david chipperfield, illumination, installation, LED, Lentos Art Museum, light, Mario Cucinella, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Ovre Forsland og Bjornstokk Hydraulic Power Stations, Penoyre & Prasad, PTW Architects, Schneider+Schumacher Architekten, Staedel Museum, Stein Hamre Arkitektkontor Architecture, Treusch Architecture ZT GmbH, water cube, Weber + Hofer

more articles by Sandra Pfeifer