May 2011 - Illuminating Engineering Society
May 2011 - Illuminating Engineering Society
May 2011 - Illuminating Engineering Society
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BAR BASQUE/FOODPARC<br />
Stem-mounted MR16s illuminate circular mirrored reflectors to form a space-age chandelier in the<br />
private dining room at Bar Basque.<br />
Adding a “circuit-board” element to a corridor in Bar Basque’s narrow red interior, blue LED strip<br />
lights a textured horizontal reveal.<br />
Photo: Adrian Wilson Photo: Adrian Wilson<br />
the Basque region’s hearty cuisine (including<br />
“pintxos,” Basque tapas). In contrast,<br />
FoodParc, a modern, upscale food court on<br />
the first floor, features nature-patterned<br />
lighting projected onto a white backdrop.<br />
The two eateries are joined in the middle by<br />
a tiered seating area that can be used by<br />
patrons from either restaurant.<br />
A self-proclaimed non-conformist, Mead<br />
pushed design boundaries at both restaurants.<br />
New York City-based firms Philip<br />
Koether Architects and Cline Bettridge<br />
Bernstein Lighting Design, Inc. turned<br />
Mead’s other-worldly sketches into a reality.<br />
“It was up to us to interpret what Syd’s<br />
concepts meant and to deal with things<br />
like energy requirements and budget. We<br />
also had to look at what it took for people<br />
to look and feel good in these spaces,” says<br />
CBBLD principal Francesca Bettridge, who<br />
collaborated with senior associate Michael<br />
Hennes and associate Nira Wattanachote<br />
on the restaurant lighting. The team also<br />
designed lighting for common areas, such<br />
as stairwells, and the building’s façade.<br />
FROM RENDERING TO REALITY<br />
Known for his movie set designs, Mead<br />
has also created some rather unusual<br />
spaces, including the custom interior of a<br />
747 aircraft. At Bar Basque, he channeled<br />
that experience to create an airplane-inspired<br />
aesthetic, envisioning the long, narrow<br />
interior as a red fuselage with curved<br />
ceilings and circuit board-style accents.<br />
Translating Mead’s ideas into reality<br />
posed several challenges, however. In his<br />
sketches, the sole light sources are randomly<br />
clustered downlights “that aren’t<br />
something you see in our industry,” says<br />
Bettridge. “We really tried to capture the<br />
spirit of everything that he was doing, but<br />
64 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2011</strong> | LD+A www.ies.org
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