African American Heritage Museum

Description

LOCATION: EXPOSITION PARK, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
USE: MUSEUM RENOVATION
SCOPE: GUEST EXPERIENCE

Gallegos Lighting Design was selected by Gruen Associates to provide lighting design services for the 3 main exhibit galleries, the entry lobby sculpture gallery, and the small theatre/lecture room. Working within a strictly defined budget, Gallegos Lighting Design Principal Karl Haas was charged with providing a lighting system that would allow for total flexibility and enable the museum staff the ability to implement a variety of lighting situations as their rotating exhibits changed. The solution was found by incorporating an 8’x8’ grid lighting track suspended at 16’ above the exhibit floor. This two circuit track would allow an extensive capacity for illuminating any possible exhibit arrangement below. The lighting grid would also function as a visual “ceiling” stopping the eye from travelling beyond the 16’ height where exposed mechanical ducts and electrical raceways serviced the facility. The 8’x8’ grid was maintained except for Gallery 2 where many of the edges ended in a wedge configuration due to triangular shape of the ground plan.  Creative installation techniques using articulated connections and custom attachments were incorporated to maintain the visually seamless look of the track. German lighting manufacturer ERCO was selected to supply the track lighting for the project.