A grotto, separated from main reception by a defining archway ordered to remain , serves the dual functions of a daylight coffee and refreshments counter and an evening cocktail lounge for staff and clients alike. With multifunction and limited access to natural light in mind, the exploration of positive and negative forms influenced by transitory lighting elements ensued. Midnight blue cladding relegates the arch feature from a forefront position to the background, pulling the reflective tilework of the upper bar into primary focus. Electric lavender uplighting distributes delicately in the daylight, and deeply transforms in the night.
For a workforce regularly enshrouded in darkness during programming and development hours, the play of contrasting light continues in primary reception. As the bar invigorates through artificial lighting, acknowledging a technology-driven world, the opposing reception lounge opens itself entirely to the radiant energy of the sun and stimulation through visual connection to the vibrancy of the downtown district. Color is not produced through lighting here, rather present in the saturated textile program, exclusively and dependently influenced by light and weather conditions of the natural world, a reinforcement of vital balance.
