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INTERVIEW / SUZAN TILLOTSON Pic: Dean Kauffman Pic: Iwan Baan
Left New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York: Shifting setbacks on each floor provide skylights to blend natural and artificial light in the galleries Right School of American Ballet, Dance Studios, New York (Pic courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro): Linear ribbons of light illuminate stacking dance studioes, with the new upper studio floated within the original double-height volume
locate a candidate, they are allowed up to a month-long trial period to be evaluated for a position. Participating with Suzan in managing the variable workload are principals Mark Kubicki and Ellen Sears, nine designers, and support personnel.
MOVING LIGHTING EDUCATION FORWARD Suzan, an active board member of the In- ternational Association of Lighting Designers and a member of the Illuminating Engineer- ing Society, has taught lighting courses at several universities, including Cornell and Princeton, and regularly presents classes for the IES. “It surprises me that even in highly esteemed colleges and universities, lighting design is often relegated to an elective or a single course, often lumped in with acous- tics,” she says. “Change in architecture curriculum must be demanded by architects themselves,” she emphasises.
THE EYE OF THE ARTIST
According to Suzan, artists observe their surroundings closely and can become excited by beautiful things they see in the environment. “By drawing and painting, I transfer the experiences of environmental information to my personal data base of visual expressions. Then I can apply them to my practice. For me,” she concludes, “lighting design is the most perfect profes- sion. I never tire of it; it is continuous in its challenges and its rewards.”
www.tillotsondesign.com
HIGHLIGHTS
Projects that you would like to change: The only thing that comes to mind are changes to archi- tectural finishes in the design phase or details during the construction phase that we are not aware of. If we know about changes before construction, we can adjust the fi- nal lighting specifications.
Projects you dislike: Obtrusive glare from exterior fixtures, unshielded and glary floodlights on buildings, overpasses; obtrusive wallpacks mounted with little thought to their esthetic ef- fects, trespass and disability glare. More is not necessary useful.
Projects you admire: The Parthenon. Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul. The timeless Seagram Building in New York City, strong and minimal. The magical effect at the Metropolitan Opera House when the chandeliers are slowly raised to the ceil- ing before a performance.
Lighting hero: Howard Brandston, one of the reasons I am in the lighting design profession. Lighting designers Claude Engle and Speirs + Major, Danish environmental artist Olafur Elias- son, light artist James Turell, and sculptor Tara Donovan.
Notable projects: School of American Ballet, New York, Diller Scofido + Renfro: Linear ribbons of light illuminate stacking dance studioes, with the new upper studio floated within the original double-height volume. The view into the space is controlled by a translucent glass wall with a four-foot band of electrified glass that changes to clear when switched on.
Seattle Central Public Library, Office for Metropoli- tan Architecture/LMN: Designed by Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus, the 412,000-sq ft, 11-story library received a LEED Silver certification, achieving just under 1.5 watts per square foot. The lighting program included the exterior, all reading rooms, stack areas, and the 250- seat auditorium. Stack areas have luminous ceilings to create bright, shadowless, and light-filled spaces.
New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York by SA- NAA/Gensler: This seven-story museum in Manhattan’s Bowery has an expanded aluminum mesh skin. Shifting setbacks on each floor provide skylights to blend natu- ral and artificial light in the galleries. Custom-designed plug-in fluorescent track fixtures allow for a combination of diffuse fluorescent and halogen point source light- ing. Gallery volumes are primarily illuminated with high colour rendering T5 fluorescent lamps with UV sleeves, while 100W PAR lamps provide low light levels and allow for inexpensive dimming for media exhibits.
Current projects Lincoln Center, New York City, North and South Plazas and Restaurant, Diller Scofidio + Renfro/FX Fowle/ Beyer Blinder Bell: The lighting design for the Lincoln Center North Plaza includes varied sources selected for ease of maintenance. The lighting ranges from high-ef- ficacy ceramic metal halide, to linear submersible LED feature lighting, as well as quartz halogen for the illumi- nation of sculptures
East River Waterfront, New York City, SHoP Architects: Featuring the structure of the FDR Drive along the lower New York City waterfront, the lighting provides a unique nighttime experience. The site stretches along the East River from the Battery Maritime Building includeing both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Nighttime lighting defines the area with illumination levels that encourage pedestrian use and impart a feeling of safety without de- tracting from the water views.
Lotte Tower, Seoul, South Korea, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and Lotte Moolsan Group: Inspired by tradi- tional Korean art forms in the design of the various interior program spaces, the sleek tapered form of the 123-story tower will stand out from the city’s rocky mountainous topography.
Millstein Hall at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, OMA: The design constitutes a reinterpretation of the modern- ist ‘box’ providing a connection between two existing Cornell Architecture Department buildings and housing multi-disciplinary studio space, seminar rooms, exhibi- tion space, computer labs and an auditorium.
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