Header: Alice Gao
Lighting design can have several applications that help enhance a room, a monument, a piece of art, or the craftsmanship of a piece of furniture. Crafting moods and vibes is also part of the many possibilities brought forward by a thoughtful lighting design, as space can become cosier or more dramatic depending on the intensity and placement of the light fixtures around a room. One example of this is the new Moxy hotel located in Los Angeles, where strong personalities are invited to dwell in the cool spaces designed especially for playfulness and moodiness.
Moody, Magnetic, Moxy
The new Moxy, in downtown Los Angeles, is positioned in the same building as the AC hotel, acting as a complement to this somewhat lighter accommodation spot. The new hotel has a more dimly lit atmosphere, having somewhat of a cool L.A. scene vibe to it. Lightning Studio, the agency responsible for the feat, managed to not only enhance the unique furniture pieces and architecture of the space but also give the hotel a unique personality that helps set it apart from other establishments.
Bold lighting and interior designs
The interior design of the Moxy was thoughtfully curated to focus on the raw energy of the building. The lighting design, overwatched by Wes Burdett, had the task of complementing the bold choice of sculptural elements and furniture, making the entire design almost a hook for clients with strong personalities who wish to make every night a bit dramatic just for the fun of it.
The lighting design can be defined as dim, contrast-filled, and playful at heart. This interesting design not only gave a bold feel to the hotel, but it also helped to give it a luxurious finish since the carefully planned-out lights end up accentuating the craftsmanship, textures, and materiality of the interior design.
The lighting fixtures are completely exposed, further complementing the raw-finished look the hotel was going for. Because of this, design aficionados that stay at the hotel can have rounds of deciding what kind of design style the hotel wants to portray, perhaps ending up labelling it “utilitarian industrial design“, which would be very close to the truth.
Cool and Eco
But a good design also needs to be eco-conscious and sustainability-focused, something that, in California, couldn’t be missed. As California’s energy code is one of the strictest in the world, the lighting design team had to make sure that their choices were up to California’s rulings. However, the team did more: it exceeded expectations.
The lighting fixtures used in the project are of the latest available technology, ensuring the highest levels of energy efficiency. On the other hand, careful planning of the lighting fixture layout throughout the hotel also made it possible for the designers to use fewer materials as they managed to maximise the lighting distribution with the minimum amount of fixtures. To top it all off, the team decided to buy locally, minimising the project’s carbon footprint impact.
