Few items can define a room like a nice light fixture. I learned this lesson well when I was younger, as my mother let her entryway remain dark for several years as she searched for the perfect lamp to welcome guests into her home. It was quite a hazard a night to go down the stairs, but I admired her determination to find a good design. So it comes as no surprise that firms like Studio Beam will put so much care into their lighting designs, especially for as high profile a client as Facebook. Collaborating with the design team of Setter Architects, an Israeli-based firm, Studio Beam developed an engaging lighting typology that acknowledges the “prominent social interaction atmosphere that is so identified with Facebook,” to ensure that their new office complex in Tel Aviv is lit by fixtures that fit in well alongside the diverse and vibrant spaces of the building. Using a industrially influenced aesthetic of iron and rust, the team at Studio Beam created two main typologies: the “Tracking Tube,” which is a great leap forward from the cylindrical fluorescent lights found in so many offices, and the “Ocean Mariner,” which is inspired by fishing port lanterns as seen in its clever use of iron cages around LED bulbs. These work well with the eclectic taste of the office spaces, which range from showcasing wood paneling to graffiti murals to walls covered in chalkboard paint. Together these all form a cohesive narrative for the building in line with the company’s image, and prove once again that to achieve good design the devil is in the rusty details.
