Bright Lights, Big City

Object Inc. designs a luminous showroom for Baldinger Architectural Lighting in New York.

Jen Renzi -- Interior Design, 5/1/2001 12:00:00 AM

Although Baldinger Lighting has been a New York fixture for over a century, the company only recently unveiled its first showroom. The 1,600-sq.-ft. space, designed by principal Jon Otis of Object Inc., communicates Baldinger's impressive heritage while anticipating future needs. "I wanted to create a system that could be dismantled and taken along if Baldinger relocated, or altered to suit display concepts they may have down the road." Against a backdrop of lively blues, Otis installed a freestanding exhibition system of maple panels to create "a subtle layering, a visual rhythm to break up the shotgun space." Mounted on aluminum tubes, the panels are equipped with removable rails and cantilevered shelves to accommodate Baldinger's range of lighting products. Along one wall, the panels form a screen that floats inches in front of a lengthy expanse of windows, both increasing display space and modulating the flow of natural light.

Throughout, accents of frosted acrylic and aluminum develop a symmetry between the architecture and the merchandise. Otis enlisted Baldinger's production facility to fabricate these components, helping to keep project costs low and quality high, while mobilizing the input and assistance of the entire staff. "More so than any project I've worked on, this was a team effort. The people at Baldinger rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty," says Otis, who credits Fernando Duque and Katherine Wildt with generating ideas and keeping the project on track. Matthew Goodrich, Maisie Lee, and Mary Jane Callister from Object Inc. also assisted with the design.