Architectural and facade lighting
Facade, bridge, monument and landmark lighting, plus interior lighting that brings out architecture, guides people safely and sets the mood, with energy efficient LED and smart city controls.
Architectural lighting and experience design studio in Washington, DCMagic In The Air designs facade and architectural lighting, projection mapping, holiday light shows and immersive experiences for cities, malls, hotels and government, shaping light, sound, video and materials into places that move people. Then our own Prime AV crews build, install and support every system we design.
Most design firms hand you drawings and walk away. Our designers work beside the engineers and crews who will build the system, so what you approve on paper is what gets installed, programmed and supported.
Site study, goals, audience and the story the space should tell.
Concept, renderings, lighting, sound and content design, plus full system drawings.
Prime AV specifies and sources from our own product catalog, then programs and tests every system in our Chantilly shop.
Our own installation crews install, calibrate and commission on site, then train your team.
Service plans, remote monitoring and seasonal content updates for years to come.
Facade, bridge, monument and landmark lighting, plus interior lighting that brings out architecture, guides people safely and sets the mood, with energy efficient LED and smart city controls.
Commercial holiday lighting and city light shows, plus theatrical, dynamic and interactive event lighting with special effects for stages, venues, ballrooms and outdoor shows.
LED video walls, projection and displays designed into the space, plus 3D projection mapping and pixel mapping that turn building facades, interiors and stages into moving canvases.
Noise control, room acoustics, soundproofing and acoustic modeling, plus sound systems, paging and immersive audio.
Multisensory and interactive art installations, themed spaces, AR and VR that respond to the people inside them.
Guest journeys, ceremonies and rituals, identity, wayfinding and activation plans that give a place a reason to visit.
Musical fountains, water feature lighting and water shows synchronized to light and music, kinetic sculpture, landmark pieces and digital art.
Design briefs for your architect, color, material and shape studies, human centered analysis and sustainability planning.
Light, sound, video, color, shape and materials change how people feel, how long they stay and what they remember. Our designs draw on environmental psychology and human centered design, so every choice has a reason behind it.
The feeling of a place is nothing mysterious. It comes from elements that can be studied, measured and designed. We work from environmental psychology, the study of how surroundings shape what people feel, how they behave and what they decide.
Materials, texture, shape and layout matter too. The difference is that we design them as one system, not as separate parts.
Hotels, malls, plazas and cities compete on experience. Our placemaking and destination design turns light, sound, video and story into a reason to visit, stay longer and come back.
Tourism is no longer only about the destination. The places people talk about create a lasting emotional connection, and that connection can be designed with lighting, sound and storytelling.
Light, sound, acoustics, color and form decide how a guest feels in a lobby, a restaurant or a rooftop. We design them together so the space supports your brand from the first minute.
Great spaces do not happen by accident. Every element speaks to the people inside, so we plan each one with intent, then Prime AV crews build, program and support it.
Hotel lighting design for lobbies, rooftops, restaurants and bars.
Experiential retail design, mall holiday lighting, atriums and seasonal activations.
Placemaking for mixed use developments, amenity spaces and leasing centers.
Smart city lighting, plazas, bridges, monuments, civic light shows and public art.
Facade lighting, museum lighting design, galleries and commemorative events.
Theaters, houses of worship, musical fountains and themed experiences.
We own the creative from concept to documentation, then Prime AV builds, installs and supports it. One team, one point of contact.
Talk to us about thisWe design one part of the project, such as architectural lighting, a soundscape or the material strategy, to fit your architect’s plans.
Talk to us about thisLighting master plans, acoustic modeling and design briefs that support your in house or outside design team.
Talk to us about thisFor hotel groups, developers and venues with several properties: fast response, regular ideas sessions and ongoing tuning.
Talk to us about thisConcepts, installations and design studies from the Magic In The Air Studio in DC, built and supported by Prime AV crews.
Magic In The Air is a member of the Audio Engineering Society, the International Association of Lighting Designers, the World Experience Organization and the Themed Entertainment Association.
Yes. The first call and site walk are free, with no obligation. We listen to your goals, look at the space and explain how we would approach it before any design fee is discussed.
Both. Magic In The Air leads the design, and Prime AV engineers and crews build, install, program and support everything. You can also hire us for design only if you already have an installer.
Yes. We often design one element, such as lighting or acoustics, to fit the architect’s plans, or write a design brief that guides their team without replacing their role.
Each project is quoted after the free consultation, based on the scope and the level of design you choose. There are no surprise fees, and the quote spells out exactly what you receive at each phase.
We are based in Chantilly, Virginia and design across Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland, with projects nationwide. If travel is required, we only ask for a flight ticket and a hotel room for our team during the site visit.
Yes. We design and install commercial holiday lighting, synchronized light shows, building projection and pixel mapped displays for cities, town centers, malls and hotels, then program the show, handle installation and take it down after the season. Permanent architectural lighting can also be programmed for holidays all year.
Yes. Our studio designs facade, bridge, monument and landmark lighting with weather rated LED fixtures, color control and scheduling, then Prime AV installs and supports it. We coordinate with architects, engineers and the approving agencies.
Yes. We design water feature lighting and musical fountain shows that synchronize water, light and sound, from plaza fountains to signature shows for developments and destinations.
Experience design shapes how a place feels. We combine lighting, sound, video, acoustics, color, materials and story into one plan, grounded in environmental psychology, so the space supports how you want people to feel, move and remember it.
Yes. Our studio designs architectural lighting, facade lighting, projection and video mapping and LED video walls across Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland, and Prime AV crews install, program and support them.
Placemaking turns a plaza, a street, a mall or a hotel into a place people choose to visit. We plan the identity, guest journey, lighting, sound, wayfinding and activations that give a destination its character and keep people coming back.
Tell us about the place, the people and the feeling you want. Your first design consultation is free.
A call or site walk with our design team to understand the space, the audience and your goals.
A concept, scope and the Magic In The Air design fee, so you know exactly what the design phase includes.
Prime AV engineers and crews build, install and support every system we design, as one installation project.
Prefer to talk first? Book a free 15 min call