The historic remodel of a 2-story rotunda and gift shop of this 1935 California Exposition building offered many lighting challenges to Randall Lamb. The main design request was to illuminate the historic architecture with modern fixtures while bringing more ambient light into a stale, gray space. These effects needed to be achieved without violating the existing historical ceiling.
The answer to these design challenges was to cantilever from the wall, small profile MR16 track lights. These tiny fixtures disappear into the architecture, add sparkle and interest to the space while aimed to bounce light off of numerous surfaces.
Randall Lamb lighting designers integrated this into the entire rotunda and gift shop and even added a star-like sparkle to a false skylight. The skylight was retrofitted with programmable light sources that achieve the idea of the sun as it moves through the day. The colors in the skylight change from the morning blues to the colors of the sunset.
Existing historical chandeliers were cleaned and restored to complete the renovation.
Our work received the 2002 Edwin F. Guth Award of Merit for Interior Lighting (Regional).