Prize(s) Winners in Community Building Lighting
Company L'Observatoire International
Lead Designers HERVÉ DESCOTTES
Other Designer's names WEI JIEN, JUNE PARK THOMAS MNICH WEN Y. LIN
Architecture Company STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS
Client FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE
Photo Credits PAUL WARCHOL
Completion Date November 2021
Project Location LANCASTER, PA, USA
Entry DescriptionOn the campus of Franklin & Marshall College, the new Winter Visual Arts Building is nestled among 200-year old trees. The building’s concave curves conform to the placement of the historic trees, carving out an intimate setting for the new structure by Steven Holl Architects. The multifunctional lighting concept celebrates the distinctive geometry of the building’s architecture while establishing the Visual Arts Building as a thoughtful and contextual addition to the campus.
The lighting scheme follows the intent of the building to serve as both an inspiring new structure on the campus and a cost-effective building that optimizes its spaces through simple design decisions. Both on the interior and exterior, lighting is designed to be as multifunctional and effective as possible. The 33,000-square-foot building houses art studios, exhibition galleries, and seminar rooms that are intended to be accessible for use by students and faculty at all hours of the day. The lighting was designed to provide ideal conditions for the creation and appreciation of art through artificial light, while elevating the value of Holl’s architecture as a natural light source.
Company DescriptionL’Observatoire International is a lighting design firm, founded in 1993 by Hervé Descottes.
