In recent years, the quality of interior lighting—particularly in complex environments such as commercial complexes, shopping malls, airports, and large public buildings—has become an increasingly critical factor influencing spatial perception, user behavior, and overall satisfaction. Lighting is not merely a functional requirement; it also plays a fundamental role in shaping how individuals perceive and interact with the built environment. Among the various components that define the quality of lighting, the correlated color temperature (CCT) of light is especially significant because it directly affects visual comfort, attention, and cognitive processing. CCT refers to the perceived hue of a light source, measured in Kelvin (K), and is typically classified along a spectrum ranging from warm (reddish-yellow) to cool (bluish-white) tones. Studies have indicated that variations in CCT can significantly influence mood, alertness, and performance, making it a crucial consideration in spaces that demand efficient navigation and decision-making, such as commercial complexes. Despite the recognized importance of lighting quality, relatively few studies have directly investigated how CCT specifically impacts wayfinding performance in commercial spaces, where users must quickly and accurately navigate through complex layouts. Wayfinding—the process by which individuals orient themselves and move through an environment to reach a specific destination—is highly sensitive to environmental cues, including signage, architectural layout, and lighting conditions. The present study seeks to fill this research gap by systematically exploring the relationship between multiple levels of CCT and user wayfinding efficiency, attention allocation, and spatial decision-making. To achieve this goal, six distinct CCT levels were selected for experimental testing: 2000K, 3000K, 4000K, 5000K, 6500K, and 8500K. This range was chosen to encompass the full spectrum of lighting from very warm to very cool tones, enabling a comprehensive analysis of how incremental changes in CCT influence cognitive and behavioral responses during navigation tasks. The experimental procedure employed a virtual reality (VR) simulation, which provided a controlled yet realistic environment for evaluating user interactions under varied lighting scenarios. Participants were immersed in a three-dimensional model of a commercial complex, designed to replicate typical features such as corridors, escalators, atriums, and signage systems. Each participant experienced all six lighting conditions sequentially while wearing a VR headset integrated with eye-tracking technology, allowing precise measurement of visual attention, gaze patterns, and fixation points. Key behavioral metrics, including movement paths, travel times, decision accuracy at intersections, and number of navigational errors, were recorded for quantitative analysis. The use of VR facilitated rigorous experimental control while preserving ecological validity, as participants were able to move freely within the simulated environment and respond naturally to environmental cues. Comparative statistical analyses, including repeated measures ANOVA, were employed to assess the effects of CCT on wayfinding performance. The findings revealed a clear pattern: medium CCT levels, particularly around 4000K, consistently yielded the highest performance outcomes. Under this lighting condition, participants demonstrated faster navigation, fewer errors, and more focused gaze behavior, suggesting that visual comfort and cognitive load were optimized. In contrast, very warm lighting conditions (e.g., 2000K–3000K) and very cool lighting conditions (e.g., 6500K–8500K) led to decreased performance. Specifically, participants exhibited longer travel times, increased cognitive load, more frequent hesitation at decision points, and a higher number of navigational errors. These results indicate that extreme CCTs, whether warm or cool, may impose additional mental processing demands on users, reducing the efficiency and accuracy of spatial decisions. The implications of these findings are significant for architects, interior designers, and lighting professionals seeking to create user-centered environments in commercial settings. By selecting lighting systems with optimal CCT levels, designers can enhance wayfinding efficiency, minimize navigational errors, and improve overall user satisfaction. Additionally, the study demonstrates the value of VR-based simulation tools for evaluating environmental design interventions before implementation in real-world settings. VR enables controlled manipulation of lighting parameters and the collection of high-resolution behavioral data, providing insights that are often difficult or impossible to obtain through traditional field studies. Such an approach supports evidence-based design practices, allowing professionals to test multiple scenarios and refine lighting strategies based on empirical performance outcomes. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of considering individual differences and contextual factors in lighting design. Factors such as age, visual acuity, familiarity with the environment, and the complexity of the spatial layout can modulate the impact of CCT on wayfinding behavior. Future research could explore interactions between these variables and lighting conditions to develop more personalized lighting strategies that accommodate diverse user populations. Additionally, combining CCT optimization with other lighting parameters, such as illuminance, glare control, and dynamic lighting adjustments, may further enhance spatial performance and user comfort. In conclusion, this research provides robust evidence that correlated color temperature is a critical determinant of user wayfinding performance in commercial complexes. By employing six different CCT levels, the study identified medium-range CCT (around 4000K) as the most effective for promoting efficient navigation, focused attention, and accurate decision-making. Very warm or very cool lighting conditions were associated with increased cognitive load and reduced spatial performance. These insights emphasize the necessity of careful lighting design that integrates empirical data on human perception and behavior. The application of VR-based simulations offers a practical methodology for testing and refining lighting strategies, ultimately supporting the creation of commercial environments that are both visually comfortable and cognitively supportive for users. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of environmental psychology, architectural lighting design, and human-centered spatial planning, providing a foundation for future studies that aim to optimize complex built environments through scientifically informed lighting interventions. This study, through the application of empirical methods and VR-based simulations, has contributed significantly to our understanding of how correlated color temperature (CCT) impacts wayfinding performance within commercial complexes. The findings indicate that selecting appropriate CCT levels can substantially enhance user comfort, visual clarity, and navigational efficiency in complex spatial layouts. This underscores the vital role of lighting design in creating environments that support effective spatial orientation and reduce cognitive strain on users. Importantly, the research emphasizes the necessity to consider individual differences and contextual factors such as visual acuity, environmental familiarity, and spatial complexity. Tailoring personalized lighting strategies that accommodate diverse user needs and behaviors could optimize wayfinding outcomes, particularly in heterogeneous populations. Moreover, the interplay between lighting parameters such as illuminance, glare control, and dynamic lighting-further refines spatial perception and attentional focus, delivering holistic improvements in user experience and spatial cognition. The practical implications of these findings are significant for architects, lighting designers, and facility managers aiming to design commercial environments that foster intuitive navigation and user wellbeing. Medium-range CCT (around 4000K) emerged as the most effective for promoting focused attention and accurate decision-making, thus informing design frameworks oriented toward optimizing artificial lighting conditions. Beyond functional benefits, improved lighting conditions can bolster commercial success through enhanced shopper satisfactions and prolonged engagement within the space. Despite the robust outcomes, this study has some limitations. The experimental settings, primarily focused on commercial complexes, may limit the generalizability of results across other architectural typologies and cultural contexts. Future research should expand the scope to include diverse building typologies and demographic groups to validate and extend these findings. Additionally, integrating cultural variations and long-term effects of lighting on human behavior remains an open avenue for further exploration. Future investigations could also benefit from integrating biometric data and advanced behavioral tracking alongside VR simulations to deepen insights into how lighting dynamically influences human spatial behavior. Such multidisciplinary approaches would enable the development of adaptive, user-responsive lighting systems that dynamically respond to real-time user states and environmental changes. Ultimately, this work lays a foundational framework for advancing human-centered lighting design principles aimed at optimizing built environments. By scientifically informing lighting interventions, the study advances environmental psychology and architectural design toward more supportive, cognitively attuned spaces that enhance spatial navigation, comfort, and overall user experience.