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DETAILS Pic: Alfredo Cacciani Pic: Peter Paige Pic: J.B. Spector
Left to right Toys “R” Us, New York, NY - “We pushed the footcandle level to a point where the interior light level clearly communicated the store’s dynamic environment to passers-by.”; Science Storms at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL - “We presented our ideas for a space that would awaken a sense of wonder in visitors, starting with the 10-year-olds.”
seconds to decide if there was a reason, if we were to become shoppers in Toys ‘R’ Us, to look further. It became obvious, that if the interior brightness level inside the store was high enough to hold its own, surround- ed by the mega-signs and pulsating environ- ment of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, and was clearly visible, it would succeed in drawing traffic into the store. We went back to the office and pushed the foot- candle level to a point where the interior light level clearly communicated the store’s dynamic environment to passers-by.” The lighting objective or the Frye Company flagship store in New York City’s historic SoHo district was much more subtle than Toys ‘R’ Us. For the 149-year-old company, it was the first retail outlet for the foot- wear and leather accessory manufacturer that built its reputation on the quality of materials and the superior construction of its products.
“Our objective was to provide customers with a rustic, and at the same time, chic environment that coincides with Frye’s design aesthetic. Every stitch contributes to the product’s style and Frye’s signature meticulous craftsmanship, and this is what the company wants customers to appreci- ate,” says Gregory. “The architect designed the store with dark finishes to blend with the rich leather tones of the shoes ac- cessories. Yet, the details of construction had to be clearly visible to the shopper. The lighting had to be placed close to the
products on the front edge of the shelving, to isolate the space where the items were being examined, thus creating a one-on- one relationship. We mocked up and tested this concept and then spent time carefully explaining to the contractor the installation details needed to make it work. The result- ing display unit design is both subtle and functional,” he observes.
At Science Storms in the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Gregory worked with the museum’s curators and designers to build the illuminated environment from a young visitor’s point of view.
“The target market was identified as the inquisitive, bright-eyed 10-year old, or an adult who can imagine themselves as they were at ten,” Gregory says. “Where would they go to experiment with making things? The image that come into my mind would be their grandfather’s garage as if their grandfather was the inventor from the mov- ie Back to the Future. What would the ga- rage look like and how would this translate to a 26,000 square-foot museum exhibit? So we presented our ideas for a space that would awaken a sense of wonder in visitors, starting with the 10-year-olds. We proposed a big blue illuminated wrapper that would be the background for the planned 50 sci- ence experiments. The Museum people ap- proved, and Science Storm has proven very popular since the day it opened.” Gregory enjoyed a long friendship with the late Jonathan Speirs. “We were always
looking for ideas and travelled to places all over: world’s fairs, to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, to Boston to see neon artists, to Marfa, Texas to see Dan Flavin’s last exhibit, to Las Vegas. It was an on-going education for both of us.”
Speirs and Gregory were visiting lecturers at Texas Christian University; Theatre Institute in Bochum, Germany; University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem; and in Florence for Targetti.
Focus Lighting now employs 30 designers and technical support staff in its new head- quarters. “It’s like a family. I take a lot of time training each one. They all share the passion to work hard. Final lighting solu- tions for one of our projects don’t neces- sarily have to be mine. If one or two of the designers wants to submit an alternative plan, we would all discuss and critique it. If it is agreed to be a better idea, that’s the one that goes to the job,” Gregory points out.
Gregory estimates that he has given lec- tures and workshops at 20 different schools over the years, in addition to those with Jonathan Speirs, including Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Parsons School of Design in New York. “At each school, there were always a couple of students who want more answers. They pose questions like: How does the eye respond to intense colours? Is there only one correct way to light a space? Is there really a difference in the way you light international projects as
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