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 Landmark
architectural projects often
require special luminaires and
mounting systems to compliment
a successful design. The Seattle
Central Library by Rem Koolhaas
is one example. Massive, diamond-patterned
curtain walls slope inward or
outward on the library’s
upper floors, creating a challenging
environment for providing quality
ambient, task and book stack
illumination. Below are some
specific design challenges and
their solutions.
Writer’s Room
The Writers Room, tucked into
a corner on the 10th floor, is sectioned off from the rest of the
level by partial walls. BFL292 fluorescent T5, remote ballast display
fixtures are used to illuminate this ceiling-less space. The luminaires
project from the walls 14” using our BAM series arm mount kits.
Slender aluminum tubes cantilever the fixtures from simple, circular
cover plates fastened to recessed junction boxes. End cap-mounted
couplers allow the BFL292 to rotate for the purpose of aiming. Additionally,
the couplers serve to join individual fixture housings together,
forming slim, minimal rods of illumination. A notable custom element
of the lighting system is the machined L-shaped coupler that joins
two runs together to create an inside corner, continuing the elegant
look of the fixture from one wall to the next.
Map Collection
 Like
the Writers Room, the map collection room has partial walls and
no conventional ceiling for mounting luminaires. Again, arm mounted
BFL292s provide illumination onto the walls and into the space.
The deep, flat file cabinets were challenging to illuminate. In
order to view the contents of the fully extended drawers, the fixture
housings needed to be located forty-two inches from the wall. To
ensure stability of the severely cantilevered fixture run, auxiliary
cables were adapted to the mounting tubes. Adjustable cable gliders
pivot on custom machined tabs which are welded to 1/2” diameter
arms. A 1/16” diameter aircraft cable ties the assembly back
to a slope-compensating coupler mounted to the wall. The clever
support system effectively places the fixtures exactly where they
are needed and enables library patrons to view the map collection
in bright, diffuse light.
Book Stack Lighting
The library book stack illumination
received just as much attention to detail as the rest of the lighting.
The design concept called for a minimal looking lighting system
that did not appear “tacked” on to the custom metal
and acrylic shelving units. Three foot long BFL292 fixtures, fitted
with standard output T5 lamps, join at the mounting tube couplers
to form runs up to twenty-four feet in length. The mounting tubes
fasten to a horizontal support. The book stacks’ open-form
structure and translucent acrylic panels leave little space to
conceal electrical wiring. To minimize the potential clutter of
remote ballast housings as well as associated electrical components,
a special system was developed. Custom ballast housings recess
completely into the mounting channel. The fixture’s electrical
leads pass through the mounting arm and channel, directly into
the ballast housing. Primary wiring routs through the housings
to maintain a clean look. All the lighting components including
the fixtures, arms, ballasts and the mounting hardware are powder
coated to match the shelving finish. The result is a sleek lighting
system that appears fully integrated with the book stacks.
The Seattle Central Library
is a unique and dynamic building. To fulfill the demands of such
high design, the lighting must also be exceptional. Through ingenuity
and the ability to work closely with the design team, Bartco Lighting
produced distinctive luminaires that complement the architecture
and enhance the design of this fantastic public space.
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