Prize(s) Honorable Mentions
Lighting Design/Product Company Sean O'Connor Lighting
Lead Designers Sean O'Connor
Other Designer's names Michael Lombardi, Devon Nguyen
Architecture Company Smallwood
Interior Design Company Commune
Client Turnberry
Photo Credits Yoshihiro Makino
Completion Date September 2024
Project Location Nashville, Tennessee
Entry DescriptionTucked around the corner of prominent hotel tower, a space bathed in warm light evocative of a Tokyo jazz kissa awaits. The project’s lighting design reinforces a theme of simplicity and a “DIY” approach using simple forms and sustainable materials to provide ambient lighting. Ceilings consist of reclaimed gymnasium flooring surrounded by colorful acoustic finishes. Dim to warm LED light sources provide general illumination and highlight acoustic ceiling panels while floor lamps, sconces, and tabletop candles create ambiance. Lensed plywood boxes of various proportions create a family of light fixtures to reinforce a homemade aesthetic. Upon entering the main dining area, backlit washi-paper panels act as a lantern illuminating the space and drawing guests in. Plywood pendants with dim to warm LED sources highlight tabletops, while ceiling light boxes fitted with tunable white LED strips provide lighting compliant with food safety levels at the sushi bar. Completing the layered lighting composition, dim to warm monopoints accent vinyl record displays, while tunable white linear LED channels integrated into bottle risers and velvet-draped perimeters introduce focal illumination, drama, and sparkle. The project contributes to the city’s dynamic nightlife by blending Japan's rich cultural and listening traditions to the renowned food and music scene of the Music City.
Sustainability ApproachIn keeping with the themes of simplicity and a “DIY” approach, the project was creatively conceived to fit within a limited budget and complies with stringent IECC 2018 energy requirements. Pivotal in creating mood and flexibility, a cloud-based dimming control system was specified and strategically programmed to distinguish between daytime, dinner, and late-night hours of operation while reinforcing the project’s sustainability goals.
