Craig Steely Light Wall
The owners of a 10th floor apartment in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood have what few others can boast: unobstructed views from the Presidio to Alcatraz—and a 40-foot-long light wall.
Earlier this year, architect Craig Steely (in collaboration with Peter Noble, Jonathan Foote, and Sierra Helvey) installed 1,440 two-inch-diameter LED lights behind a floor-to-ceiling wall of acid-etched glass in the City by the Bay weekend home of a Colorado couple. The inspiration came from the mood set by ‘70s space rock and ambient music pioneers like Cluster, Brian Eno, and Michael Rother, Steely says.
Convincing the couple that the wall would be a hit was easier than expected. “We came up with the idea, ran it by them, and surprisingly, they went for it,” Steely says. “I think the selling point came when we told them that anyone can have a Porsche Carrera for their midlife crisis, but how many people have a light wall?”
A computer hidden away in a nearby closet shows a variety of videos—ranging from sunlight sparkling on Lake Merritt to cows grazing in a field—that are slowed down and transmitted to the LED lights, each pixel corresponding to a single light. The acid-etched glass blows out any sharpness in the video, creating an ambient, slow moving wall of light.
Photos by Rien van Rijthoven
Articles
-
Everything is Illuminated
Searching high and low for your ideal table lamp? Brighter days are ahead.
-
A Little Light Reading
If your manuscript is far from being illuminated, it’s time to drop the task at hand and find a new lamp to read by.
-
An Introduction to Lighting
One of the oldest proclamations in Western literature—maybe the very oldest, depending on how you see things—is “Let there be light.” And for most of human history, whether…
Products
-
Box Light
The Clapper is old news. These days, touch activation is taking the world by storm. Illuminate your room with the gentle tap of a fingertip on this little Box light.
-
Bright 1
Pros: If you desire maximum luminosity from a minimalist design, this one’s for you. Who says design can’t do a body good? Bright 1 is certified for bright-light therapy—a…
-
Void Light
This light fixture would look right at home illuminating the futuristic living room of a T-1000 shape-shifting Terminator. ¡Hasta la vista, Henningsen!
Dwell Collections
-
Light it Up
There's much to be gleaned from the September 2010 issue's "Lighting 101", from the horrors of light pollution to the joys of organic LEDs. Thus inspired, we thought we'd present our most…
-
As You Light It
As You Light It is an exploration of lighting innovation through the lens of leading luminaries from theatre, urban planning, and residential design.
-
The Best of Northern Light Fair 2010
The Northern Light Fair is held every year in conjunction with the Stockholm Furniture Fair. This year approximately 100 exhibitors demonstrating the latest in home lighting, LEDs, halogen lamps…
Tips
-
Don't Forget to Leave the Light Burning
Don't leave thoughts about lighting until last—consider how you will illuminate your space while you are in the planning stages.
-
How to Pick the Right Light
Lighting should be very task oriented. If you plan on sitting at the sofa and reading, the lamp has to be at the right reading site. Keep decorative lamps for overhead lighting and all the other…
-
How to Build a Lighting Concept
I’m a fan of floor lighting plus a couple of small table lamps for the living room. Use ambient lighting and low-wattage warm bulbs to create a relaxed atmosphere.
Videos
-
As You Light It: Roll & Hill
For our third and last installment of our series on lighting design, we trek to Brooklyn for a round table discussion about the power of illumination with the creative minds behind Roll & Hill.
-
As You Light It: Leni Schwendinger
In our second installment of our series on lighting design we venture to Manhattan to see "lighting urbanist" Leni Schwendinger. From the terminals of Port Authority to the brights lights of Time…
-
As You Light It: Jet Lag
For the first installment of our new series investigating lighting design, we go behind the scenes of the Obie-award-winning play Jet Lag. The show, originally conceived by architects Elizabeth…
Events
-
Maira Kalman: Various Illuminations
This is the first museum survey of Maira Kalman’s narrative art. Working as an illustrator, author, and designer, Kalman is well known for her covers and drawings for The New Yorker, over a…
-
Light and Design
Light plays an important role in our daily lives. We are surrounded by it and dependent on it. Light is also key to design. There’s design for light—lamps, for example—and design…
-
Kartell Lighting Sale
All lighting products purchased from October 24 through November 15, 2009 will be discounted by 15% in the following Kartell Flagship locations: Kartell Flagship Store Boston 10 Saint James…
Advertising
Advertising
Advertising
Related Products
-
Box Light
The Clapper is old news. These days, touch…
-
Bright 1
Pros: If you desire maximum…
-
Void Light
by Tom DixonThis light fixture would look right at home…
Latest
-
02.09
An Architecture Guide to Pyongyang
German architect and writer Philipp Meuser realizes that…
-
02.08
Fair Chairs
We continue our coverage of the 2012 Stockholm Furniture and…
-
02.07
Seven from Stockholm Design Week
It's about mid-way through the 2012 Stockholm Design Week and…
Follow
Dwell
-
Thanks, @dailytekk, for including @dwell on your list of 100 Best, Most Interesting Blogs & Websites! http://t.co/hbMnDiTO #design
-
Was Mario Manningham's Super Bowl catch a work of #architecture? http://t.co/zxD47gN1
-
“@archpaper: Move over Ice Cube, Moby jams to #architecture, launches new blog about Los Angeles: http://t.co/eVKNB5WK”
-
What does the #architecture of Pyongyang look like? Just interviewed the guy who wrote the guide book http://t.co/qA6Pm0Nm
I want one, but this looks like more than a DIY project. Who made the panels and cabinets?
RSS Feed
Add a Comment