Ali Berkman

An electric and electronic engineer, Ali Berkman is a passionate, flexible and observant person. He took an interest in lighting during high school years when he was visiting his father’s decorative lighting atelier and working there part-time. He starts talking about his profession: “Seeing how lighting fixtures, produced with massive effort in the atelier after many lighting tests and prototypes, were applied in practice and how effective they were, was the real reason that I took an interest in lighting. I have been working on lighting design professionally for 5 years. Assuming that there will be no perception in a space with no natural or artificial light, I think lighting design is the most important element that help us define spatial perception and visibility. What I like about lighting design most is that we can shape the relationship between human and space with the lighting concept we design. Even though our typology of service varies, we usually design lighting for office and stores in small scale; and hotels and composite structures in big scale. We always have a story for every project. We recommend using led sources in many places we design because of the flexible conditions they provide and their technical and ecological benefits.” The designer believes that design is a creative process of planning for specific needs and targets. “Depending on socio-cultural and periodic conditions, I believe a good design should basically be aesthetic, functional and permanent. When it does not get old aesthetically and lose its functionality, in other words, when it becomes immortal, it becomes a classic. I also believe that technic and aesthetic elements complete each other. When one of these factors is missing in a design, it can’t reach its target audience in a productive way.” Berkman also says “Our dreams come true when we see the places or installations we design reach our target audience and the lighting blends with the space. If a designer is free, passionate, determined and fearless, then s/he will be successful. To be successful in design, you should be able to observe the moments, spaces and people you experience well. Among our ongoing projects, there are Zurich Insurance’s Head Office, W Hotel Akaretler renovation, Astana Train Station, Işık University auditorium and Erzincan Erimpaş Shopping mall.” For their motto as ONOFF, he says “Light can only be felt in the presence of shadows and reflections.”