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Ahmanson Theatre Reconfiguration

Los Angeles, California

Innovative lighting design transformed this dated 1960s era “black box” theater into a timeless, intimate and intriguing space. A diaphanous screen, or scrim of finely perforated metal, floats above the audience, creating a mysteriously transparent, yet solid, chandelier. Blue dichroic lamps shining onto a specially painted ceiling heighten the dynamic treatment of this area. Modulation of the light in front of the scrim and the blue light behind powerfully impacts an audience member's sense of the theatrical.

Adherence to the project's stringent budget makes the success of the lighting concept even more notable. Standard, cost and energy-efficient fixtures were used sparingly, highlighting architectural elements while simultaneously using these features as luminous reflective sources.   The installation's sole custom luminaire - a frosted glass cylinder wrapped with a twist of perforated metal- echoes the materials in the theatre and foreshadows the tilt of its walls.   In addition to rigorous budget evaluations, energy conservation, maintenance, and technical concerns (such as luminaire brightness and noise control) were each carefully considered throughout the design process.  

The project has been recognized with both the IALD Award of Excellence and the GE Edison Award of Excellence.