Lighting that works: A portfolio of recent office lighting projects that get the job done

Performance. Since Lighting Dimensions focuses on all aspects of professional lighting design, the people at work in our pages in any given month might well be the onstage hellions of Metallica, while Madonna is showcased as the "day laborer" emoting on a soundstage for a new movie or music video. In the more commonplace world of work in which most of us operate, it's the realm of architectural lighting that helps get the job done. With improved productivity and better bottom lines remaining sharply focused goals for most businesses, superior performance is expected of both workers and their workplaces. Good lighting remains a crucial element in creating efficient offices that at the same time present a polished image.

For this special architectural lighting issue, we are focusing on office projects, yet they are far from mundane. We work from the outside in, beginning with a report on the exterior illumination of an historic mixed-use building in Toronto by LD Ken Loach, which has helped to attract new tenants while raising the center's profile. Next up are two projects illuminated by Jonathan Speirs that demonstrate dramatically different approaches to lighting corporate headquarters; the palatial, historically listed home of a real estate firm in London benefits from an unobtrusive yet effective new lighting scheme, while a contemporary architectural envelope housing newsagents in Edinburgh is updated with direct and indirect systems. Then we look in on a top Manhattan law firm, whose relocated offices showcase deft lighting by Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design (CBBLD). With a more downtown ethos, a multimedia company in New York gets back to basics with plenty of daylighting and a minimal array of luminaires in a plan designed by Focus Lighting.

On top of our roundup of offices, we spotlight CBBLD's lighting of the redesigned Windows on the World in Manhattan as a special Lightfair bonus. If you're in town this month to attend sessions or work the show floor, stop by the renowned restaurant and bar afterwards and enjoy the food and ambiance. It will have been a long day on the job away from the office; let the venue's spectacular views and subtle lighting work their charm.