MCC Theater

Lead Designers Stephen D. Bernstein, Marty Salzberg, Renata Gallo

Entry Description

MCC Theater is the new home for a prestigious off-Broadway stage group. The lighting is part of a conversation between the materials used in each space. With an architectural palette that ranges from unfinished concrete to glazed painted walls and veneered wood accents, the lighting is the unifying element among these contrasting surfaces. The lighting provides the finishing touch to the architecture, enabling an authentic reading of the materials while also weaving these disparate elements into a finished whole.

Large disks of light float and flow throughout the lobby and guide patrons up the stairs to the balcony level. Their seemingly random spacing belies a careful arrangement that creates a visually appealing pattern. Moreover, the configuration plays down the open ceiling and responds to the triangulated lobby and irregularly spaced columns. The fixture’s circular form adds a comfortable, friendly quality.

The main theater continues the dialog between materials. The unfinished concrete box is outfitted with painted wood perimeter screens. Lit from behind by concealed wall grazers, the concrete is visible and celebrated, yet softened by the silhouetted screens.

Company Description

Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design (CBB) is dedicated to enhancing the grace, utility, and comfort of architectural spaces with light. The 17-person firm is certified as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) - locally by NY State and NY City, and nation-wide by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
CBB provides architectural lighting design services for buildings and sites of every type, size, and architectural style. This portfolio encompasses celebrated sites around the world.