Graham formed Graham Phoenix:Lighting Design (GP:LD) in 2006. He was originally a stage lighting designer. In the early ‘80s, after over 20 years in stage lighting, he joined the lighting consultancy Lighting Design Partnership (LDP). He became a director in 1995. With others he formed Phoenix Large Limited in 2000 and traded under the name Lightmatters.
Graham co-wrote the UK’s first modern urban lighting strategy, the highly influential Edinburgh Lighting Vision. He was principal designer of a major, much-admired strategic lighting plan for Trafalgar Square in London. He recently completed the ‘River of Light’ strategy for Merseyside in partnership and the ‘Theatreland Strategy for London’s famous ‘West End’.
Other prominent buildings and monuments include the award-winning scheme for Albert Memorial, London and the exterior of Somerset House, London. On a more contemporary note was the highly praised lighting of the new Boyne Bridge in Ireland and the dramatic lighting of the highly visible Star City development in Birmingham.
His architectural lighting of theatres includes the refurbished Sadler’s’ Wells Theatre and the Coliseum Theatre, home of English National Opera, as well as the new build Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. In London’s West End he has lit the refurbished Palladium and Lyric Theatres as well as the Prince of Wales, Prince Edward, Novello, Coward, Wyndham’s and Gielgud Theatres for Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. He has lit a number of new build theatres in Germany and is currently involved in a new theatre in Aylesbury and a new theatre for LAMDA.
He has extensive experience in lighting historic and ecclesiastical buildings, most notably Durham Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin, Hexham Abbey and St. John’s Cathedral, Limerick. He has recently completed Southwell Minster near Nottingham, Peterborough Cathedral, Carlisle Cathedral and Hereford Cathedral Lady Chapel. He is returning in 2007 to re-work his seminal lighting for Durham cathedral.
Graham is an active member of the IALD, and is a Past President of the Association for 2006-2007. He was a member of the drafting panel for Lighting the Urban Environment, A Guide to Good Urban Lighting, a joint publication by the IALD, the Institution of Lighting Engineers and the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.