Hicham Lahlou: A Career Shaped by Design and Light

A New Chapter Above Rabat and Salé

For Nighty Magazine, Hicham Lahlou introduces one of his most ambitious works. The conversation unfolds inside the Mohammed VI Tower, Morocco’s new architectural landmark. Here, design, art and heritage meet through an installation conceived for both day and night.

An international designer, interior architect and artist, Lahlou has spent more than three decades moving between disciplines. Now, A Symphony of Lights brings that journey into dialogue with architecture, landscape and Moroccan cultural memory.

More Than Three Decades of International Design

On June 25, 2026, Lahlou entered the 31st year of his international career. The milestone followed an exhibition in Tangier celebrating 30 years of work. The French Institute of Morocco and the French Embassy in Morocco supported the event.

However, Lahlou does not view the anniversary as a conclusion. Instead, he sees it as encouragement for a journey that continues to evolve. Each distinction recognises the work already completed while creating momentum for what comes next.

Recognition Across Borders

His career has also received official recognition from France and Italy. Around a decade ago, France appointed him a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. More recently, Italy named him a Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

For Lahlou, these honours carry a meaning beyond individual achievement. He receives them with pride as a Moroccan, an African and a creative voice from the MENA region. Therefore, each distinction also reflects the growing international visibility of design from the region.

Hicham Lahlou and A Symphony of Lights

At the base of the Mohammed VI Tower, 396 luminous sculptures extend across the esplanade. They accompany the building from the Waldorf Astoria side toward its main entrance. Some rise as single forms, while others feature two sculptural heads.

Together, they create a measured rhythm beneath the tower’s monumental arch. The installation remains visually present without competing with the architecture. Instead, it accompanies the tower with what Lahlou describes as humility and deference.

Light Without Spotlights

The absence of conventional spotlights beneath the arch shaped the entire concept. Lahlou transformed the sculptures themselves into sources of illumination. Each piece functions as an artwork and a practical design object.

During the day, their bronze surfaces shimmer against the sky and surrounding greenery. At night, they illuminate the entrance and reveal another dimension of the architecture. As a result, the installation changes character as daylight fades.

Rooted in Moroccan Ritual

The forms draw inspiration from the traditional trumpets associated with Ramadan. Their flared profiles reappear through the sculptures’ elongated silhouettes. Yet Lahlou does not reproduce this reference literally.

At the same time, botanical lines help the pieces blend into the landscaped esplanade. Music and nature meet within a single visual language. Therefore, Moroccan tradition enters a contemporary setting without losing its cultural resonance.

Bronze, Doors and Material Memory

The bronze colour carries another deliberate reference. It echoes the monumental handcrafted doors found across Moroccan palaces and riads. It also creates continuity with the grand doors at the tower’s entrance.

Moreover, the finish gives the installation a different presence throughout the day. The sculptures catch the sunlight before becoming part of the lighting composition after dusk. This shifting quality connects material, architecture and atmosphere.

Engineering a Monumental Gesture

Behind the poetic references, practical decisions shaped every element. Lahlou selected cast aluminium because it offers a lighter structure above the underlying slab. In addition, the material resists rust and responds well to an outdoor environment.

The double-headed sculptures direct light toward both the arch and the tower. Meanwhile, their varying heights introduce movement across the 396-piece sequence. Every decision responds to weight, weather, circulation and illumination.

An Icon Beside an Icon

The Mohammed VI Tower already commands the horizon. Consequently, Lahlou chose restraint rather than visual rivalry. His installation develops its own identity while respecting the scale of the architecture.

The relationship feels carefully balanced. The tower rises vertically, while the sculptures establish a lower rhythm across the ground. Together, they guide visitors toward the entrance and bring the monument closer to a human scale.

A Journey That Continues

A Symphony of Lights gathers the themes that have shaped Hicham Lahlou’s career: Moroccan identity, international perspective, material intelligence and respect for place. It also arrives at a defining moment in his professional journey.

More than 30 years after that journey began, Lahlou continues to move between art, architecture and design. Recognition may celebrate the work already accomplished. Still, it does not complete the path. In his words, “The journey is not finished. It continues.”