Light Series 2:The Continental Resturant, Atlantic City NJ

The picture above are of The Continental , one of the many luxurious restaurants located within the Pier at Caesar's Casino; Atlantic City, New Jersey. I visited this restaurant over the summer with a couple of friends and loved the spirit that interiors presented. The restaurant serves a variety of entrees from around the world and also translated its eclectic character through the variety of interior concepts and lighting.

Luminaries included within the space included ambient lights placed behind mirror fixtures, flood lighting hidden behind top wall fixture, magenta LED lamps within the lounge area, and candlelight glows presented along tables. The majority of lights were dimmed to provide a glow instead of alerting light to make customers more relaxed and calm. Natural materials used in interior construction (stone columns, wood floors, dark granite counters) often helped to absorb light and add to the effect of providing an organic and intimate setting. The LED lamps in the lounge gave the space a eclectic club feel. The large central lamp fixture had a very dull glow allowing its white and magenta tips to service as the visual stimulator. Placed in the restrooms were dimmed clusters of bulbs fixed within the confines of mirrors and clear sink fixtures. I can say that was one of the first times I HAD to take a picture in a restroom:-)

Glare and brightness were not an issue due to the dimmed illumination and a low use of reflective materials within the space. The only improvement to suggest would be to offer a little more lighting in the stalls so that customers can feel a higher sense of sanitation from being able to adequately see the space around them. The restaurants lighting plan was designed very well and catered well to the needs and theme of the setting.

Critique Space Evaluations

The critique room sits atop the center of the 4^th floor of the Gatewood Studio Arts building and is primarily used as a multi-use space for Interior Architecture classes, meetings, presentations, project evaluations, etc. The critique room’s appearance, layout, and size are directly related to the various functions that takes place in the room. The room is adorned with white tack board walls, track lighting that is situated along the perimeter of the room. Window slits appear along the four quadrants of the room which peer out to studio desks surrounding the space. An open ceiling plane gives the critique space its distinctive and serene quality. Natural light floods the space through translucent windows on the roof allowing for general lighting during the day. Although the natural light does allow for a more invigorating atmosphere, the variations of light quality during different times of day often causes distractions during class and sometimes affect values of shade used during drawing projects. The dark polished concrete floors of the room help to contain the light and prevent glaring in the space. The overall impression of the critique space is that its openness allows for creative thought and collaborations between students and teachers; its large scale provides opportunity to carry out many activities (making it very useful); and its natural light quality, although sometimes distracting, creates a motivating atmosphere.

Light and Spacial Condition Project