Shaing this fantastic article on the lighting design of Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia featured in the recent release of Arc Magazine: Please click here to read the full article.
Photography: Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur; GA and Jonathan Maloney, What The Fox
It is with great sadness that we have to announce that after battling with cancer for several years, Michael passed away peacefully last Wednesday, 1st April 2026. Our thoughts are with his wife, Bryony, the rest of his family, friends and colleagues.
Michael had been at dpa for 27 years and was an extremely important part of the Practice’s success. Michael’s passion and attention to detail for lighting design, his chosen craft, never faltered. He was dedicated to producing the very best lighting designs he possibly could and sharing his knowledge and experience with others. Michael always had time to support, encourage, and spare time for his colleagues. The list of projects Michael contributed to is immense, many of which won awards and received acclaim. Michael remained dedicated to his projects and present in the studio up until the last few weeks.
Michael was not only excellent at his chosen profession, but he was also a wonderful person, who will be greatly missed by everyone that knew him and that worked with him.
We are delighted to share that dpa project Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has been named “Best New Hotel” as well as being awarded “Best Design” for Merdeka Grill in the Tatler Best 2026 Awards – Best in Class Malaysia.
Client: PNB Merdeka Ventures
Operator: Hyatt
Interior Designer: GA
Architect: Fender Katsalidis, ARUP and RSP Architects
Project Managers: Turner International
Art Consultants: ArtLink
General Contractor: Samsung C&T Corporation UEM Construction JV Sdn Bhd (SUJV)
Photography: Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, GA and Jonathan Maloney – What The Fox Studio
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Thank you to EK Magazine for publishing an article on dpa project, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Please click the links below to read this in English and Greek.
Park Hyatt Hotel in Malaysia – ek magazine | Architectural Publications
Park Hyatt Hotel στη Μαλαισία – ek magazine | Architectural Publications
For further information about this project, please click here.
Photography: Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, GA and Jonathan Maloney – What The Fox Studio
2026 marks a landmark year for dpa lighting consultants, as we celebrate half a century of continuous involvement in the United Arab Emirates. Our journey in the region began in 1976 with our very first UAE project: the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel. Designed by our Founder, Derek Phillips, in collaboration with pioneering New York-based lighting designer Howard Brandston, the project not only set a precedent for lighting design in the region but also sparked a long and valued friendship between Derek and Howard.
At the time, none of us could have predicted just how significant Dubai, the wider UAE, and the Middle East would become to dpa’s evolution. Following the Sheraton, we were privileged to contribute to a number of notable commissions across the region, gradually strengthening our connection with the UAE’s rapidly growing architectural landscape.
A major turning point came in the late 1990s when we were appointed to the Grand Hyatt Dubai. This landmark project proved pivotal, and in 2004, we opened our Dubai studio. From that moment, our presence in the Middle East expanded significantly, and today every dpa studio is actively engaged in projects across the region.
Over the past 50 years, we have had the privilege of contributing to many of the UAE’s most important and celebrated developments. The selected projects featured below represent only a small portion of the work we have been honoured to undertake, and we remain deeply grateful for the trust placed in us by our clients, collaborators, and partners across the Emirates.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to supporting the region’s evolving architectural landscape through thoughtful, contextual, human‑centred lighting design. Here’s to the next 50 years!
We are delighted to share an article published on The Times online, which highlights The Newman Fitzrovia, London – a dpa project that officially opened on Sunday, 1st February 2026. Please click here to read the article in full.
David McNeil, Partner at dpa, recently attended a talk at Light + Intelligent Building Middle East to discuss 50 years of dpa’s work as lighting consultants in the UAE – from their first project, The Sheraton on the Creek, in 1976 to the present day.
At LiGHT 25, directors from our Dubai studio Lee Sweetman and Nikos Moskofidis spoke about how dpa embed typical architectural methodology into the creative process. By asking fundamental questions about context – the where, how, what, and who for – dpa build a structured understanding that guides every stage of the design. This approach leads to thoughtful, well‑informed conclusions and ensures each project is grounded in clarity, purpose, and confidence.
If you would like to watch Nikos and Lee’s presentation, please click here.
Thank you to arc magazine for featuring the USA Pavilion, Expo 2025 in their December/January 2026 edition. Please click here to read the article in full.
Theresa Dowling invited leading architects and designers from across the contract sector to come together to discuss the realities of working globally – from cultural nuance and identity to planning barriers, ethics, and the continually shifting balance between UK and overseas markets…
To read the article, click here.
