Principal Architect
British–Norwegian
"A building that requires sunglasses has failed."
Biography
Julian Thorne is the defining force behind Lumina Architect's brutalist philosophy. Born in Edinburgh and raised between London and Oslo, his early years were shaped by a landscape of raw geological forms — a sensibility that would later define his obsession with mass, void, and the tension between them.
After graduating from the Architectural Association in 1998, Thorne spent six years working under Peter Zumthor in Haldenstein, Switzerland, absorbing the discipline of phenomenological architecture — the belief that buildings must engage the entire body, not just the eye. It was here that his conviction crystallized: architecture must be felt before it is understood.
He co-founded Lumina in 2002 alongside Elena Valli, transforming a small Milan studio into one of the most respected design practices in the world. Today, he leads a team of 47 architects, overseeing all principal commissions from initial concept to construction completion.
Selected Works
Innsbruck, Austria · 2023
Role: Lead Architect
Julian's most celebrated residential commission. Carved into an alpine ridge using blasted rock as both foundation and facade material, the Obsidian House achieves thermal mass through geological integration — making the cliff itself the primary structural system. Winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize 2023.
Berlin, Germany · 2021
Role: Principal Designer
A 22-storey commercial tower that Julian describes as "a conversation between the existing city and the demands of the future." Its load-bearing exterior concrete grid eliminates the need for an interior structural core, freeing the floor plates into open, adaptable voids.
Oslo, Norway · 2022
Role: Creative Lead
A civic gallery designed around a single aperture: a 14-meter-wide oculus that tracks solar position, casting a moving pool of light through the exhibition space throughout the day. The building disappears when empty; it is completed by the art and the visitors within it.
In Print
"Mass & Void: A Theory of Brutalist Restraint" — Phaidon Press (2020)
"The Norwegian Light" — AA Publications (2016)
"Building Against Nature" — Domus Magazine, Issue 1044 (2021)
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