CREATING FOCUS AND FUNCTION WITH LIGHT
CREATING FOCUS AND FUNCTION WITH LIGHT
Even though,the Crown Lunchroom at the Chicago History Museum is designed to be filled with fidgety, giggling school kids, field-tripping their way through the city’s heritage -it’s also designed to be a gathering space that offers comfort and promotes conversation. The Lunchroom also serves as an immersive theater setting for the museum’s orientation film.
When Morlights, a longtime collaborator with CHM, was tasked with lighting the redesigned space in 2019, the challenges were clear: the existing space was a large, low-ceilinged room with a partial wall, no focal point and dull lighting. Our designers knew that lighting could serve to effectively delineate both focus and functionality within the Lunchroom—and we set out to realize those goals.
Low-glare, deep-recess downlights were used to provide general lighting for the gathering space, creating a comfortable illumination, while museum-quality track lights highlight wall-mounted displays. In the theater space, a star-shaped chandelier of linear LED fixtures creates excitement, while linear LED lighting integrated into the millwork completes the effect and acts to clearly designate the entry and exit. DALI digital controls allow for the deep dimming theatrical spaces require and enable show lighting that is perfectly synchronized with the presentation.
The end result is a energized space that creates a warm welcome and helps young imaginations take flight.
“It’s amazing what really thoughtful lighting can do—even helping to define and organize the physical space. Can it make school kids on field trips behave? We’ll see.”—Avi Mor
Awards and Recognition:
Photo Credit: John Cahill