Alessandra Bertolini

She eventually decided to graduate as an architect, but soon realised that walls are boring obstacles until you hit them with light. To Alessandra, light is the most rebellious element of design: you cannot touch it, yet it has the power to change how your heart beats when you enter a room. If you are not playing with light, you are simply sitting in a very expensive room.

For more than 20 years, she has been shaping spaces where architecture, atmosphere and emotion meet. Her work spans the UK, Spain and Italy and includes complex, high-profile projects where lighting is not decoration. It is what makes the architecture legible.

Throughout her career, Alessandra has progressed from designer to senior leader, building and managing multicultural teams. She believes that the best lighting solutions come from the same place as the strongest collaborations: creativity held together by technical rigour.

She works closely with project managers, architects, interior designers, developers and client teams to translate ambitious briefs into buildable designs. She also remains closely involved throughout construction, working hands-on with contractors and craftspeople to ensure that what is drawn is what ultimately gets built on site.

In 2016, Alessandra was recognised with the 40 Under 40 Design Award, an achievement she regards as encouragement to keep pushing rather than a reason to stop.

Beyond the brief, she continues to chase light in its rawest, unbuilt forms: fireflies at dusk, moonlit walks, stories shared around a bonfire and skies dark enough to count the stars.

Alessandra is proud to be part of Women in Lighting, a global community that has taught her as much about mentorship as it has about lumens. As she shared in her interview with the community:

“Never let anyone put a limit on how much you can grow.”

It is a principle she strives to live by, and one she now passes on to the designers she mentors.