Header: Matthew Millman
The Bob Dylan Center is home to over 100,000 items from the Bob Dylan Archive, all owned or fabricated by the loved artist. Such a collection deserves a quality lighting design, so the Center decided to trust Tillotson Design Associates with the task.
The lighting design was tailored to support the visitor experience without drawing attention to the fixtures themselves. This means that no direct lighting is cast into any of the items—light just sort of seems to glow out of nowhere.
The entrance area features a large screen, designed by Dylan himself, defined in silhouette by the back illumination of a full-height poster and subtle form-defining lighting from framing projectors. Inside the gallery, lighting projections on the walls create an immersive environment, while hidden track lights subtly highlight the main displays without overwhelming the space or the visitors.
In the “Six Eras” gallery, the design team chose to add a layered lighting system to emphasize the displays. Framing projectors provide front lighting, linear LEDs offer even illumination for cases with solid backdrops, and smaller accent lights are reserved for backless cases to minimize glare. This design was specially curated for the space, forming uniform light levels, low shadows, and minimal glare.
Jukebox cabins are incorporated with track and indirect cove lighting to frame them as individual spaces. Almost hidden, a stairwell invites people to come up subtly illuminated from above, with the track lights concealed from the main floor. Around this staircase, black-and-white prints receive light from fixtures embedded in the steps, taking only part of their reflection. This lighting design makes this space feel like a portal into the second floor, inviting visitors to go through it almost in a whisper.
On the second level, the lighting integrated into the archive shelves also functions as corridor lighting, highlighting the exhibits displayed along the walls while creating a soft ambiance for the visitors.
