Prize(s) Winners in Workplace Lighting Design
Company Sean O’Connor Lighting in collaboration with Architecture + Light
Lead Designers David Hahn (Sean O’Connor Lighting), Darrell Hawthrone (Architecture + Light)
Other Designer's names Lida Khezri, Stacey Guevara (Sean O’Connor Lighting), Florin Panlilio (Architecture + Light)
Client Confidential
Photo Credits Benny Chan – Fotoworks@Benny Chan
Completion Date 2022
Project Location New York, NY, USA
Entry DescriptionThe lighting design for the US headquarters of this global social-media company embodies their ethos of community, inclusivity and joy. Spanning 160,00SF across five-floors in Times Square, New York, cutting-edge lighting and controls were carefully crafted to support a vibrant and dynamic workplace project that endeavors to be a reflection of the city itself.
Centralized around a five-level interconnecting stair, the design brief calls for a complex workplace program, including expansive open work areas, meeting rooms, production facilities, lounge and entertainment spaces, a large cafe, and a double-height ‘All-Hands’ area perched dramatically over Times Square.
The design team utilized backlit graphics, digital content, and architectural lighting to create an immersive user experience that reinforces the brand and allows the workplace itself to become a backdrop for the creation of social media content.
Rigor in detailing seamlessly integrates architecture and lighting and a careful but bold use of colored light acts as stage design element and architecture in one, surrounding employees and guests with a richly layered visual experience.
Eschewing traditional workplace lighting solutions, subtle color fades, shifts, and sequences of light transform spaces from day to night.
Sustainability ApproachThe client’s lighting program required high illuminance values for visual tasks; 40FC was required at workstations with 15FC requested at circulation areas to minimize contrast. These light levels and the colorful effect lighting was achieved while keeping the total connected lighting load below 0.8W/SF, exceeding local energy efficiency requirements and contributing to the sustainability initiatives of the project. All light fixtures are dimmed, and none operate at more than 80% for visual comfort. Daylighting is provided to more than 70% of the work areas and the use of daylight sensors, dimming and centralized controls means that actual lighting energy use is predicted to be less than half of the connected load.
Company DescriptionFounded in 1997 and led by Sean O’Connor, IALD, MIES, the practice is dedicated to the design of environments that are a synthesis of light and space. Our work is distinguished by light and its absence, and by an understanding that light is an integral part of the architectural experience. Sean O’Connor’s signature approach defines spaces through light, creating visual destinations and compositions of layered light and contrast using integrated architectural details and unique fixtures.
