The architectural lighting community is gearing up for Lightfair International in New York City, May 6-8, 2003. A special event at Lightfair this year is NightLight 2003, a celebration of lighting design, organized by IALD member Gerd Pfarré of Lighting Design in Munich, Germany. Pfarré organized the first NightLight last year in conjunction with Light+Build in Frankfurt, and will continue the concept on Tuesday, May 6, from 6pm on, at Boylen Studios in Manhattan.
Pfarré recently completed the lighting for CK Loft, a residential conversion project in central Munich. A former gear factory with 230 sq. m (2,550 sq. ft.) of space was transformed into a private loft. “I was involved very early in this project,” Pfarré says. “This allowed a fruitful collaboration between building owner, architect, and lighting designer.”
The room layout was developed to meet the demands of the owners, a couple of designers, and the lighting design was developed in parallel with the interior design and the design work of Susanne Muhr and Volker Petereit of lynx architecture in Munich. The wiring was laid out to avoid cutting openings in walls and ceilings. “We wanted to minimize visible wiring as well as keep as much as possible of the original loft feeling,” says Pfarré. The result was a combination of a suspended gypsum ceiling and electrical ducts covered with boxes made of gypsum board. Freely mounted downlights accent the industrial look of the space.
A freestanding “quinta,” or wall with a gap on top, separates the guest toilet and a function room from the entrance area. It offers a fantastic space for displaying art. Wallwashers by Erco illuminate this wall with an even, all-over quality.
The 4m (13') kitchen block of solid concrete is the heart of the place. Two former door openings were discovered during construction; glass blocks add some daylight to this area. Above the work surface, a floating pendant light by Maarten van Severen of Belgium was used, and Erco downlights were installed flush into the gypsum ceiling. The same downlights are mounted on the “media beam” next to the central cross member. The matte aluminum beam houses all wiring including stereo speakers, TV, and data cables.
Above the large walnut table, two suspension lamps (Kabokov/Ingo Maurer) create lighting for all-day use as well as for festive dinners. The bathroom is lit by L-shaped general lighting, with a skylight above the bathtub surrounded by indirect tube lighting. A 4m-long wall lamp (Meter by Meter/Belux) is mounted on the mirror, and a Bega downlight shoots down from the top of the shower. The indirect lighting profile continues into the bedroom and illuminates the closets from the top via a translucent acrylic cover.
The entire space is equipped with a switching and dimming control system with access on four panels. Various lighting scenes can be programmed in advance and managed throughout the space, making the loft a welcome retreat.