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light seam | Retail

application

Light Seam in retail interiors is the illumination of the intersection of two perpendicular planes, usually to supplement general illumination, accent feature walls, or highlight particular design elements.

research

Light Seam is the resultant effect when a reveal, or gap, at the intersection of two interior planes is illuminated. The practice is most commonly found at the juncture of the wall and ceiling planes, causing the wall to appear as if it extends above the ceiling. Identified in a previous study of retail Intypes, Light Seam was named to describe a specific type of recessed cove lighting that occurs at this intersection of the wall and ceiling, washing the wall in light and visually separating the ceiling almost as if it were floating.1 This Intype was later researched in depth as part of the Intypes Project in a study of Light as an Element, broadening the practice to include illumination within the narrow recess between the edges of any two architectural planes.2 Most recently Light Seam was found to be an archetypical practice in workplace design as well, most commonly used to enliven transitory spaces or public lobbies.3

The present study of Light Seam will deepen the understanding of its applications and effects in the retail interior through a discussion of retail-specific lighting requirements, a brief history of lighting technology and use from a retail perspective, and an overview of the effects and implications of its use in retail applications.

The lighting requirements unique to retail are unlike those needed for other types of commercial interiors. Other practice types, such as workplace, can have rather prescriptive lighting requirements for supporting the range of programmatic needs, including task lighting for desk and computer work, and adjustable lighting systems in conference room or other presentation settings. Hospitals host an even stricter set of requirements, having to provide lighting for the fine detail work associated with performing surgery. Such practice types are lit according to guidelines that outline suggested footcandle levels for a given task or type of work.4 While retail benefits from following basic lighting conventions, the underlying objectives behind retail lighting are grounded primarily in merchandising and mood. Lighting is a powerful tool both for highlighting product to make it look appealing and for crafting an atmosphere consistent with the spatial experience that a retailer wishes to promote.

Variety is the driving principle behind lighting merchandise and creating ambience, appearing as one of the most important considerations referenced in texts discussing retail-specific lighting.5 The remark "variety is the spice of lighting as well as life" accurately sums up the way in which the basic human need for variation and change extends to the way we prefer our interior spaces to be lit.6 Many have equated evenly-lit spaces with the dreary effect of diffuse light on a cloudy day: "An environment in which all the surfaces tend to be lit to a uniform intensity will produce the effect obtained in natural conditions with an overcast sky - a lack of shadow and modeling - and the results may be equally depressing, despite the fact that the illumination level may be reasonably high."7

Evenly lit, indirect upward lighting schemes, lack contrast and monotony that often lead to dull, lifeless interior spaces. Light Seam plays an instrumental role in retail lighting as a possible strategy for introducing visual interest and variety in an interior, in order to avoid such monotony. The ideal solution is to incorporate a variety of direct and indirect light sources. Direct lighting is useful for modeling, or casting shadows in a way that allows objects to read three-dimensionally, while the pairing with indirect light sources helps soften the effect of direct downlighting by reducing harsh shadows.8

Since the light source in Light Seam is concealed from view and the light is indirect, the practice becomes a means for introducing diffuse, reflected light that can complement other lighting effects. Retail lighting is analogous to workplace lighting in at least this sense. The task-ambient strategy in office environments is one where high, often adjustable illumination is provided closer to work surfaces and is supplemented by ambient lighting for general illumination.9 A similar multi-level approach informs an understanding of retail lighting comprised of both specific and general lighting tactics. Stores often light their interiors overall with general illumination, and then introduce specific lighting effects to feature products and create a more interesting spatial experience.

A brief history of lighting from a retail perspective will offer context and frame an understanding of how and when Light Seam entered retail lighting design practice. Lighting was problematic in the late 19th century, at least in department stores, since gas lighting frequently caused fires.10 Electric lighting was becoming available in the 1870s and 1880s, but the lighting quality was far from ideal. Early on, customers had to bring products to the window or outside to examine them in proper light. Arc lamps used for general illumination in the 1880s and 1890s had a blue-violet tint that cast a distorting hue on merchandise, but could sometimes be offset with the yellowish tinge of incandescent lamps.11 Electric lighting gradually became more commonplace in department store interiors from the late 19th into the early 20th century.12 Shops were increasingly aware of the benefit of electric lighting, as demonstrated by a 1912 advertisement for a tungsten, wire-drawn lamp reading "a bright shop always attracts customers...reducing lighting expenses to an absolute minimum."13 Although many people did not have electric lighting in their homes until closer to the 1920s, more affordable and effective technologies allowed it to flourish in the retail arena. Post-WWI, tungsten-filament bulbs were widely used, more closely resembling natural daylight and relieving the previous color distortion.14

While early applications of electric lighting generally resembled gaslight fixtures outfitted with electric bulbs, "the development of electric lighting opened up unprecedented opportunities in the design of architectural space" moving in to the 20th century.15 Writings on lighting design at the time reflected this shift in focus, demonstrating a greater awareness of overall lighting effects rather than fixating on the design and aesthetics of the light fixtures themselves: "When we have begun to think of lighting effects instead merely of fixtures, the limitations of lighting fixtures become evident. There is no limit to the possibilities of lighting when we realize that we have at our command all the devices which our ingenuity can muster."16

This shift in thinking laid the groundwork for more integrated lighting solutions, like Light Seam, since architects and designers began considering the potential for incorporating lighting effects into the architecture rather than simply applying or suspending fixtures. Early predecessors to Light Seam appeared in the early 20th century in the form of wall niches or recessed alcoves for sculptures or paintings.17 Recessing and concealing light fixtures within the wall for the purposes of grazing a painting with light was not unlike the effect of a Light Seam, albeit on a smaller, object-oriented scale.

Lighting trends in retail interiors reflected the new emphasis on lighting effects over fixtures. Indirect lighting became popular around the time of the Great Depression, especially in department stores. "No longer was the focus on beautiful light fixtures but on beautiful light that came from invisible, recessed fixtures and made the merchandise glow."18 The popularity of indirect lighting strategies coincided with the introduction and commercial availability of strip fluorescents in the 1930s, which would have made linear, indirect lighting solutions possible.19 To this day, fluorescents are the most common light bulb used for concealed lighting in a Light Seam due to their long, narrow dimensions and even light distribution. 

In the context of new fluorescent bulbs, preference for indirect lighting, and focus on effect over fixture, Modernism also influenced attitudes towards more integrated, built-in architectural lighting solutions. "The growth of the modern movement in architecture has largely been responsible for the growth of methods of integrated lighting. With a rationalization of construction and design, there has been a desire to reduce the number of visual components of a building and to make the lighting equipment more a part of the general architectural discipline."20

Modernism viewed the excessive application of light fixtures as "spatial pollution" or visual clutter. Architectural lighting solutions like Light Seam offered minimal spatial interventions that could contribute to a pleasant interior light quality without disrupting the purity of the space.

In the 1960s an Architectural Record  article, "Light in the Right Places for Stores", provided the state of retail lighting later in the 20th century. Despite the emergence of fluorescent lighting in the 1930s, there was still a strong prejudice towards them for their poor color rendering. At the time this article was written, deluxe cool and warm white lamps that were more like natural daylight and incandescent light, respectively, were just coming onto the market but not yet widely used. The author also cited an increasing awareness of the value of lighting as a design tool in the retail interior. A more functional approach had previously been taken to lighting shops, the primary concern being on providing sufficient general illumination. The potential for strategically placing lighting to best flatter products was becoming more apparent to designers and retailers alike.21 If Light Seam was used earlier in the 20th century, the intention would have been different than more recent instances. Early applications would have enlisted Light Seam mostly out of utility, as part of an overall scheme of general illumination. Awareness of lighting characteristics to aid merchandising and ambience, however, led applications of Light Seam from approximately 1950 to 1999 to arise from the desire to create an overall spatial experience rather than function as mere illumination.

Given an understanding of the technological developments and perspectives that facilitated the evolution of Light Seam has been established, it is possible to advance the discussions to spatial effects that occur when Light Seam is used. Working from most simple to complex, Light Seam defines surface, articulates texture, implies movement, outlines space, and challenges perceived structural integrity. Surface and form rely on light to be seen.22 "By drawing attention to the edges of planes...[and] emphasizing the junction between architectural elements...a Light Seam emphasizes the shapes of architecture."23 Awareness of the surfaces of the wall planes is heightened by delicately outlining their edges with light. Le Corbusier reminds us of the way in which surfaces are revealed in light in "Three Reminders to Architects," from his manifesto, Toward a New Architecture: "Architecture being the masterful, correct, and magnificent play of volumes brought together in light, it is the architect's task to bring the surfaces that envelop these volumes to life, without their becoming parasites that consume the volume and absorb it to their profit...".24

One way that surfaces are brought to life is through Light Seam is to highlight texture, making it more visually apparent. The concealed placement of light fixtures in Light Seam results in a wall-grazing lighting effect, meaning that light washes down on the surface of the wall below the seam. Depending on surface quality, the sharp angle of incident light creates shadows below any textures that protrude, rendering the texture more visible than if it were not lit.25 Other visual properties of a material's surface characteristics are revealed as well. Polished materials and glossy finishes reflect more light, while matte surfaces diffuse light in all directions. Translucent materials will glow.26 Darker colored walls absorb more light, whereas lighter or white walls reflect much of the incident light back into the space.27

Beyond tactile qualities, another property of surface and form is the expression of apparent movement. Intypes scholar Joanne Kwan identified Light Seam as having a similar effect to a rising architectural motif that draws attention upwards, as defined by architectural theorist Thomas Thiis-Evensen.28 He considered the wall a horizontal tri-partition comprised of upper, middle, and lower parts. Thiis-Evensen explained that the relative placement of elements on a wall influence tendencies of motion, either rising, sinking, split or opening. A Light Seam located at the junction of a wall and ceiling plane emphasizes the upper field, resulting in an implied upward movement, or rising motif.29 "A wall that rises up seems very well anchored and heavy, while at the same time upright and free. It gives the observer an impression of both secure solidity and proud stature."30 This observation is accurate for walls treated with Light Seam, since the wall consequently will appear solid and grounded at the base, but lighter and airy near the lit seam.

Moving from the consideration of surfaces as individual parts to their effect as a whole, Light Seam is able to define space and enclosure. "Light emphasizes the form of a room by defining its bounding surfaces with light...Our sense of space is dependent on the way that light reveals that enclosure to us."31 By lighting the points at which planes come together, their connections are revealed and highlighted. Awareness of the enclosing planes is heightened. This effect has important implications on spatial perception. Light Seam applied to darker walls will create moody, more dramatic spaces, while lighter walls lend themselves to brighter, uplifting interiors. When applied to lighter or white walls, Light Seam can also have the effect of making smaller spaces feel larger because lighter walls appear to recede.32

Finally, Light Seam affects perceptions in which the space is structurally supported. Dark ceiling planes flanked by Light Seam on multiple sides will appear to press downward, since they have more visual weight, whereas lighter ceiling planes will appear to be floating.33 In either case, the appearance of a floating ceiling makes it difficult to comprehend how the ceiling plane is supported, if it is not "resting" on the adjacent structural walls. If Light Seam instead occurs at the intersection of the wall and floor, the effect is instead of a mysterious, almost disorienting floating floor. "We expect light to come from above, as it does outdoors under daylight. When light appears from a different direction (especially from below), objects appear ‘unnatural' and perhaps disturbing...By inverting the normal pattern of light and shadow we manipulate meaningful visual signals. In this way the designer can dramatically affect spatial and volumetric perceptions."34

The comparison of Light Seam with Thiis-Evensen's rising wall motif holds true in this case as well. He describes the effect of a sinking motif as just that: the upper parts of the wall push downward, while the base appears to sink below the floor plane.35 As walls appear to be sinking, the floor counteracts by floating upwards.

Case studies are helpful for placing some more abstract effects of Light Seam, especially these structural illusions, into the context of actual buildings. Le Corbusier's Nôtre Dame du Haut, (1955) featured an elegant Light Seam that was illuminated by natural rather than artificial light, but ultimately had a similar effect.36 One effect demonstrated by Light Seam was its ability to define space, since "light helps to define our understanding of the limits of space and form through the lighting of boundaries."37 Light Seam accomplished this by articulating the juncture where the roof met the adjoining wall. Light also has a complex relationship with structure that manifests itself two main ways. Glazed ceilings, for example, can reveal and accentuate structure, such as through contrast between transparent glass and solid structure against a bright daytime sky. Alternatively, light can conceal structure from view, as in the Chapel at Ronchamp.38 The light glowing through Light Seam concealed the small contact points that supported the roof, giving the illusion that the roof was floating or pulling away. "The shape of the ceiling/roof construction, sagging in the middle, suggests weight. And yet, along the top of the thick masonry walls that we assume are built so heavily in order to support the roof, a slit clearly allows daylight to enter. The structure remains a mystery."39

Le Corbusier himself explained that the effect was intended to invoke wonder and amazement: "The shell has been put on walls which are absurdly but practically thick. Inside them however are reinforced concrete columns. The shell will rest on these columns but it will not touch the wall. A horizontal crack of light 10 cm. wide will amaze."40 Corbusier's poem, The Key, described the interior experience in the Chapel at Ronchamp that addressed how Light Seam defines shape, surface, and form: "The key is light and light illuminates shapes ... by the play of relationships unexpected, amazing. "But also by the intellectual play of purpose: ... structure, ... the components of architecture."41 Although the poem referenced the iconic windows in the Chapel, an alternative interpretation also finds relevancy to Light Seam as well. His articulation of the manner in which light illuminated shape through relationships and the "intellectual play" of structure speak to the heart of Light Seam as a design practice.

A more retail-relevant case study of Light Seam can be found in Tadao Ando's Armani Teatro. Light Seam has frequently appeared in Ando's work, including several featured in his iconic Church of the Light in Osaka, Japan. They oftentimes were lit by natural light, as was the case with that particular church (and Corbusier's Chapel at Ronchamp). Ando's translation of this lighting strategy into a building associated with retail, however, speaks volumes about the nature of its effects. The Armani Teatro was designed as a freestanding event space at the retailer's Milan headquarters, complete with showrooms, galleries, and a theater for fashion shows.42 Light Seam lined the floor of a processional hallway into the theater building, leading those entering to a serenely lit reception area.43 A dramatic Light Seam traced the top of a slanting, curved concrete wall in a way that accentuated its unusual geometry. Light also encircled the tops on the columns in the entryway, making them appear infinitely tall. Although the retailing function of this building was indirect, there is value in noting the sacred quality of the lighting effect in a building that contributed to the greater brand. The purposeful manipulation of form and light in a relatively simple concrete building had a profound impact, demonstrating the power of a seemingly simple seam of light.

Chronological Sequence

In its earliest uses, Light Seam first appeared as an important component of general illumination practices in retail interiors, reflecting the new focus on creating lighting effects over featuring decorative fixtures. The Blackton Shop (ca. 1940s) was one shop that employed Light Seam for general illumination around the perimeter of the store, in addition to recessed cans.44 The lighting effect was described as a "light cove" at the time that the interior was published: "The center section of the ceiling drops to create a continuous light cove all around the store for general illumination."45 The result was a ceiling plane that appeared to be floating away from the wall, while the wall appeared to continue above. This lighting scheme effectively met the programmatic requirements for light in a retail space-the center circulation space was darker where customers would only be passing through and brighter at the walls where the products were displayed. One unique detail about this particular application of Light Seam was how the ceiling plane detached from the wall over a mannequin in order to wash the display in light. This act demonstrated an awareness of the benefits associated with seamlessly integrating lighting into the interior architecture rather than relying on conventionally placed fixtures.

The 1940-era Hahn Shoe Store similarly utilized Light Seam around the perimeter of a small store for general illumination.46 The introduction of strip fluorescents in the 1930s and their consequent widespread use had allowed Light Seam to come into common lighting practice. The new linear light source lent itself to lighting a cove detail evenly, able to wash a wall or other surface in uninterrupted light without the hotspots that would have resulted from point sources of light. Hahn's use of the Light Seam well depicted this even light quality, highlighting the rich texture of the white-painted brick wall. The light walls reflected much light, allowing them to serve as a key source of diffuse, general illumination. 

Although the 1940s Jay Thorpe store also used the practice as a perimeter solution for general illumination, this Light Seam was alternatively aimed upwards toward the ceiling, whereas the previous examples had both washed the wall planes in light.47 The effect of reflecting light off a lightly-colored plane in the interior was similar in its ability to flood the space with diffuse lighting, however the formal articulation of the ceiling plane was different. The upwards-oriented Light Seam resulted in a ceiling plane that appeared as if it were elevating above the walls rather than seeming to float between them, as in the previous instances where the tops of the walls were grazed.

Light Seam continued to be used as a supplemental general illumination into the 1950s decade. S.S. Pierce Co. (1951) was a suburban chain store selling specialty food items whose general lighting scheme was comprised of recessed ceiling fixtures, wall-washing spotlights, and Light Seam.48 Since the ceiling-wall intersection was the lightest area in the black and white photograph, it is evident that the reflected light from Light Seam contributed to significantly to the store's general illumination. S.S. Pierce also offered an informative demonstration of how a lighting effect affects the spatial quality of a store. Given that the shop was a specialty foods store and thus more upscale than the average grocery store, the incorporation of an architectural lighting solution rather than relying strictly on traditional utilitarian grocery store lighting resulted in a softer lighting quality and richer interior.

Light Seam is not strictly limited to rectilinear geometry. Its incorporation into more curvilinear applications began appearing as early as the 1950s. The Robert Liner Watchmaker Shop (1951) featured a Light Seam at the top of a curved, texture wall.49 The downward orientation of the seam grazed the wall in light, both accentuating the ribbed texture of the wall and illuminating the work surface below. The ability of Light Seam to define geometry in curvilinear applications was apparent in the way the lighting effect outlined and emphasized the store's arced back wall. This application depicted one of the challenges presented by Light Seam. If strip lamps were arranged end-to-end instead of overlapped, dark pockets appeared between the lamps rather than resulting in the intended continuous, even seam of light.

Light Seam may have represented a shift away from the focus on light fixtures, but fixtures continued to be often used in conjunction with architectural lighting solutions, as seen in a New Jersey branch of the department store Strawbridge and Clothier (1962).50 The men's and boys' shoe department was described as "appropriately masculine," complete with "Copenhagen street lamps" and cypress-clad walls. The fixtures were mostly decorative, and thus, the Light Seam and recessed cans provided the majority of the ambient lighting. The Light Seam effect in this case was described as a "light cornice" rather than cove.51 The impression of a floating ceiling was strengthened when it was wrapped around two adjacent wall planes, as seen in this photograph of Strawbridge and Clothier. The use of Light Seam in combination with recessed cans, spotlights and decorative fixtures suggest that it was becoming integrated as a standard solution for designing an overall lighting scheme consisting of both general illumination and accent lighting.

Another department store built in the same year as Strawbridge offered an alternative application of the lighting practice. Woollands Department Store (1962) featured Light Seam instead of being reserved solely for perimeter walls.52 Despite the difference in form, they still provided general illumination as with earlier examples. These applications had the strong effect of making the columns disappear, seemingly extending up into the ceiling above. They also served to highlight the regulating organization of the department store's open floor plan, since Light Seam capped two rows of columns and partitions arranged in Marching Order.

Light Seam was a popular lighting practice in department stores from the 1960s into the 1970s, but a shift occurred from using the Intype for general illumination to using it more as a strategy for highlighting specific design elements in a retail interior. The Dallas Neiman Marcus (1973) featured Light Seam to graze wood paneling in light, revealing the visual texture of its grain.53 Rather than grazing a wall, this Light Seam highlighted an open archway between departments in the store. The retailer requested an interior that felt open and spacious, so an archway effectively demarcated the transition from one department to another without compromising the store's open plan.54 From this point on, Light Seam would continue to be used as a tactic for emphasizing or drawing attention to a particular feature in a space.

Bergdorf Goodman (1975) paired two instances Light Seam together.55 An upward-oriented Light Seam was integrated above a recessed clothing rack. Lighting was also integrated within the display itself, providing light for examining merchandise. The two lighting effects together successfully featured the product on display as the focal point of the space: the Light Seam directed attention to the area where the product was located, while the integrated lighting within the display served to light the merchandise itself. Another wall featured a downward wall-washing Light Seam to light a dark wall that served as the backdrop for a vignette of mannequins. This one functioned to light and draw attention to a display area rather than rack of merchandise.

In the 1980s, Light Seam continued to be used for intentionally highlighting particular features, but the effects became darker and more dramatic than in the 1970s. The Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards (1981) shoe store had a relatively dark interior where the spotlighting and Light Seam provided contrast to the otherwise dimly lit space.56 These were some of the earliest examples of non-ceiling Light Seam, found here featured beneath a banquette for shoe fittings and to accent a stair at a slight level change. The blue-hued Light Seam was first a strategy for giving a sense of place to the point where customers engage with the interior by sitting down to try on shoes. Light Seam was also used as practical accent lighting. The strip of light highlighted a single-step level change to make it more visible. Single stairs are often considered tripping hazards, so the step may otherwise have easily disappeared in the dim light of the store. 

Another dimly-lit store was the boutique, T. Anton (1982), that similarly had a relatively dark interior contrasted by brightly-lit clothing displays.57 This long, narrow store employed Light Seam a new way, using the Intype to articulate circulation through the space. The visualization of movement at the ceiling was mimicked by a differently-colored stripe in the carpet pattern. Light Seam separated from the wall in places and functioned as additional lighting for clothing on display. This example also demonstrated the difference between the effects of combining Light Seam with lighter versus darker ceiling planes. The dark ceiling appeared to press down on the space, giving parts of the store a more enclosed, intimate feel, whereas a lighter ceiling would have felt visually brighter and appeared to rise up rather than descend. 

A later Strawbridge & Clothier (1983) store also used Light Seam, but this time as a strategy for articulating form.58 This Light Seam was used to delicately outline the geometry of a vaulted ceiling, making its form much more apparent than it would have otherwise been. The effect reflects back on the discussion about the way that light is essentially a requirement for the expression of form, and by extension, that Light Seam is therefore form-giving. Light also aided in the definition of enclosure, as seen here in the articulation of the vaulted ceiling. Furthermore, as in Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards, the dim, blue lighting reinforced the moody interior.

The dark, dramatic retail applications of Light Seam in the 1980s evolved along with the brighter, White Box interiors of the 1990s. Light Seam was used to accent basic geometric forms with a white glow. The Jigsaw (1997) boutique in London featured three different applications of Light Seam.59 Translucent panels arranged in Marching Order were lined with Light Seam where they met the ceiling plane. The panels glowed elegantly, the light transmitted through the panel and even drawing a faint line of light on the ground. Light Seam was also used on the wall opposite the row of partitions, complementing the rhythm of Marching Order with a strong perpendicular line. Finally, the reveal detail in a stair that had been separated from the wall was traced with Light Seam, making for an intriguing and even ethereal procession up or down the stairs. As a whole, all of the applications of Light Seam succeeded in making the spatial enclosure more tangible by highlighting significant design elements in the space.

Cerruti (1999) was an Italian fashion boutique that used Light Seam for general illumination, repeating what was popular in previous decades.60 Light Seam flanked both sides of the long, narrow interior, a glowing strip of white light running along each wall.This technique cased the lighter ceiling to appear as if it was magically hovering above the merchandise and store clientele. Due to the inherent geometry of this particular space, this instance Light Seam accentuated a compelling perspective view through the Vitrine storefront by highlighting the top two edges of the room.  Comparison between this type of Light Seam and another in the space offered a good example of the difference in effect between light washing a pale surface versus a darker wall. While the white walls reflected much of the light and created a diffuse, ambient glow, darker walls reflected significantly less light. The result is a much tighter strip of luminous light.

The Taiwanese boutique, Gallery More (2007), is an important example of Light Seam because it was one of the unique instances where the lighting practice appeared in both the ceiling-wall and floor-wall intersections.61 While a single Light Seam along the ceiling usually resulted in a seemingly floating ceiling plane, the combination of the two applications of Light Seam contributed to a sensation that both planes were being forced together. The ability of light to articulate form and enclosure was heightened here, making users acutely aware of the box they were contained within. The space pictured was located in the basement of the store, so the use of Light Seam brightened what would have otherwise been a fairly dark space. The black garments were positioned to stand in stark contrast to the glowing walls. 

A Bathing Ape (2008), or BAPE as it affectionately known, intentionally enlisted Light Seam as a means for visually separating the ceiling plane from the walls, the plaid-patterned ceiling consequently appearing to float in between the vertical planes.62 Wonderwall principal Masamichi Katayama explained that the store "‘[embodied] a pop sensibility as well as a luxurious feel.'"63 While the bold plaid plays off the pop culture concept, Light Seam became a strategy to introduce luxury to a store selling trendy street-clothes. Light Seam commonly appeared in high-end boutiques and department stores, but smaller shops like BAPE demonstrate how the practice can be adopted to create an upscale persona in any retail interior.

Light Seam has primarily been employed for highlighting feature walls or walls containing product display, but examples like Jigsaw and Elie Saab (2008) depict how Light Seam has been incorporated into other areas of the retail interior.64 These two particular installations borrow the common usage of Light Seam in workplace as lighting for transitory and circulation spaces, lining stairways with Light Seam in both cases. The practice not only made the stair more intriguing, but its diffuse glow provided sufficient lighting for a transitory space. Stairs need sufficient lighting for users to see the steps clearly, but otherwise they do not need to be as bright as other parts of a store. Therefore, Light Seam was an ideal solution to sufficiently light the stairway, while also making it a visually enhanced spatial experience. 

Canadian cosmetics store, Murale (2009), lined the top of its organic interior with Light Seam, depicting the way that the practice is able to define both rectilinear and organic form.65 The outlining of the form made the curvilinear nature of the space much more apparent. This particular Light Seam was lit with LEDs. The technology was introduced in the 1990s and has since evolved to become more commonly used in design practice. LEDs are compact, energy efficient and long-lasting. Their small size and flexible nature are their most valued properties for creating a Light Seam. Surpassing strip fluorescents, LEDs can more easily be integrated into architectural lighting solutions, allowing for even more exciting and diverse lighting effects.66 For Light Seam, this means strip LEDS could allow the practice to be applied to much more complex forms and geometries in the near future.

Conclusion

Light Seam has had an interesting history in the way that it evolved through multiple changes in lighting technology and the shifting perspectives on lighting design as an imaginative and innovative design element. Strip fluorescents lent themselves to linear lighting solutions like Light Seam at a time when highly stylized light fixtures were falling out of favor for more seamless, integrated architectural lighting solutions. At first, Light Seam was used for general illumination, usually in addition to other ambient light sources. In the 1970s, the focus moved towards lighting featured design elements. By the 1980s and 1990s, Light Seam was fully embraced as a strategy for contributing to the ambience of retail interiors, whether it was the darker, more dramatic stores of the 1980s or the brighter, White Boxes of the 1990s and beyond.

Lighting in an interior environment is not something the average person is normally consciously aware of, but it undeniably contributes to lasting impressions and memories (or lack thereof) of interior spaces. "Our experience of light is connected to the specific places where light contributes to the identification of a genius loci, the peculiar character of a place as it is impressed upon our minds."67 More so than other interior elements, lighting is a powerful, often intangible design component that sets the tone of a spatial experience. Light Seam alone boasts a range of effects, from visually expanding rooms and floating ceilings to heightened awareness of form and space.

end notes

  1. 1) Leah Scolere, "Theory Studies: Contemporary Retail Design," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2004), 138-41.
  2. 2) oanne Kwan, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Artificial Lighting Practices in Contemporary Interior Design," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2009), 145-68.
  3. 3) Shuqing Yin, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Workplace Practices in Contemporary Interior Design," (M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2011), 52-65.
  4. 4) Vilma Barr and Charles E. Broudy, Designing to Sell: A Complete Guide to Retail Store Planning and Design (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986), 79.
  5. 5) The following sources all highlighted variety as one of the most important concepts behind lighting design: Arnold Friedmann, John F. Pile and Forrest Wilson, Interior Design: An Introduction to Architectural Interiors (New York: American Elsevier, Inc., 1970), 55; M. Luckiesh, Lighting Fixtures and Lighting Effects (London: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.), 1925, 228, 285; Faber Birren, Light, Color & Environment (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1982), 90; Derek Phillips, Lighting in Architectural Design (New York, McGraw-Hill, 1964), 49; Alfred Makulec, "Light in the Right Places for Stores," Architectural Record 133, no. 7 (Jun. 1963): 188.
  6. 6) Luckiesh, Lighting Fixtures and Lighting Effects, 228.
  7. 7) Phillips, Lighting in Architectural Design, 49.
  8. 8) William R. Green, The Retail Store: Design and Construction (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1986), 113.
  9. 9) M. David Egan and Victor Olgyay, Architectural Lighting (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002), 221.
  10. 10) Bill Lancaster, The Department Store: A Social History (New York: Leicester University Press, 1995), 50.
  11. 11) Jan Whitaker, Service and Style: How the American Department Store Fashioned the Middle Class (New York: St. Martin's Press, 2006), 98-99.
  12. 12) Lancaster, The Department Store, 50-51.
  13. 13) Mark Major, Jonathan Speirs and Anthony Tischhauser, Made of Light: The Art of Light and Architecture (Boston: Birkhäuser, 2005), 8.
  14. 14) Whitaker, Service and Style, 99-100.
  15. 15) Major et al, Made of Light, 20.
  16. 16) Luckiesh, Lighting Fixtures and Lighting Effects, 220.
  17. 17) Luckiesh, Lighting Fixtures and Lighting Effects, 297-99.
  18. 18) Whitaker, Service and Style, 100.
  19. 19) Major et al, Made of Light, 20.
  20. 20) Phillips, Lighting in Architectural Design, 133.
  21. 21) Makulec, "Light in the Right Places for Stores," 187-88.
  22. 22) Marietta S. Millet, Light Revealing Architecture (New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1996), 47.
  23. 23) Kwan, "Theory Studies," 147.
  24. 24) Le Corbusier, Toward an Architecture, Trans. John Goodman, (Los Angeles: Getty Research Institute, 2007), 109.
  25. 25) Egan and Olgyay, Architectural Lighting, 232.
  26. 26) Major et al, Made of Light, 81-89.
  27. 27) Egan and Olgyay, Architectural Lighting, 12.
  28. 28) Kwan, "Theory Studies," 147.
  29. 29) Thomas Thiis-Evensen, Archetypes in Architecture (New York: Oxford University Press, 1987), 129-33.
  30. 30) Thiis-Evensen, Archetypes in Architecture, 133.
  31. 31) Millet, Light Revealing Architecture, 55, 93.
  32. 32) Egan and Olgyay, Architectural Lighting, 12, 222, 230.
  33. 33) Kwan, "Theory Studies," 154.
  34. 34) Egan and Olgyay, Architectural Lighting, 8.
  35. 35) Thiis-Evensen, Archetypes in Architecture, 135.
  36. 36) Exterior, Nôtre Dame du Haut [1955] Le Corbusier; Ronchamp, France in Ezra Stoller and Eugenia Bell, The Chapel at Ronchamp (New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1999), 17; PhotoCrd: Ezra Stoller; Interior, Nôtre Dame du Haut [1955] Le Corbusier; Ronchamp, France in Kenneth Frampton and Roberto Schezen, Le Corbusier: Architect of the Twentieth Century (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2002), 110-11; PhotoCrd: Roberto Schezen.
  37. 37) Major et al, Made of Light, 179.
  38. 38) Millet, Light Revealing Architecture, 60-65.
  39. 39) Millet, Light Revealing Architecture, 65.
  40. 40) Le Corbusier, The Chapel at Ronchamp (New York: Frederick A. Praeger Publishers, 1957), 95.
  41. 41) Le Corbusier, The Chapel at Ronchamp, 27.
  42. 42) Catherine Croft, Concrete Architecture (Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 2004), 132.
  43. 43) Armani Teatro [2002] Tadao Ando; Milan, Italy in Catherine Croft, Concrete Architecture (Salt Lake City: Gibbs Smith, 2004), 132-37; PhotoCrd: Kenichi Suzuki.
  44. 44) Blackton Shop [c1940] Louis Gluskin, Designer; Wm. Modin, Architect; New York City in Jose A. Fernandez, The Specialty Shop (A Guide) (Cornwall, NY: Architectural Book Publishing Co., Inc., 1950), 69; PhotoCrd: Ben Schnoll.
  45. 45) Fernandez, The Specialty Shop, 69.
  46. 46) Hahn Shoe Store [c1940] Wm. N. Denton, Jr., Ketchum, Gina & Sharp Associated Architects; Washington, D.C in Fernandez, The Specialty Shop, 181-83; PhotoCrd: Ezra Stoller.
  47. 47) Jay Thorpe [ca. 1940s] Raymond Loewy Associates; New York City in Fernandez, The Specialty Shop, 112-13; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner.
  48. 48) S.S. Pierce Co. [1951] Walter Dorwin Teague, Robert J. Harper and Carl R. Conrad, Associates; Chestnut Hill, MA in Anonymous, "Two Stores for Boston, Mass.," Architectural Record 109, no. 3 (Mar. 1951): 139-41; PhotoCrd: Richard Averill Smith.
  49. 49) Robert Liner Watchmaker Shop [1951] Mark & Joyce Sink; Beverly Hills, CA in Anonymous, "Robert Liner Watchmaker Shop," Architectural Record 110, no. 2 (Aug. 1951): 120-21; PhotoCrd: Lou Jacobs Jr.
  50. 50) Strawbridge and Clothier [1962] Victor Gruen Associates, architect; Welton Becket and Associates, interior designer; Cherry Hill, NJ in Anonymous, "Shopping on the Mall," Interior Design 33, no. 2 (Feb. 1962): 104-109; PhotoCrd: Chas. P. Mills & Son.
  51. 51) Anonymous, "Shopping on the Mall," 107.
  52. 52) Woollands Department Store [1962] John Siddeley, A.I.D.; London, England in Anonymous, "Showrooms," Interior Design 33, no. 4 (Apr. 1962): 194-95; PhotoCrd: Pamela Chandler.
  53. 53) Neiman Marcus [1973] Eleanor Le Maire Associates, interior designer; John Carl Warnecke & Associates, architects; Dallas, TX in Anonymous, "Symbol of Quality and Style: New Neiman Marcus Store is Designed as Symbolic Perpetuation of a Proud Reputation," Interior Design 44, no. 1 (Jan. 1973): 70-75; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges.
  54. 54) Anonymous, "Symbol of Quality and Style," 70.
  55. 55) Bergdorf Goodman [1975] Eleanor Le Maire Associates, Inc., interior designer; Jonh Carl Warnecke & Associates, architect; White Plains, NY in Anonymous, "Two Stores: Both the Work of the Same Design Firm, Bergdorf Goodman (White Plains) and Neiman Marcus (St. Louis) Posed Different Problems and Required Disparate Solutions," Interior Design 46, no. 4 (Apr. 1975): 150-61; PhotoCrd: Martin Helfer.
  56. 56) Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards [1981] Mark Cohen; New York City in E.C., "Fashioned on Park Avenue: The Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards Shop for Shoes, Designed by Mark Cohen," Interior Design 52, no. 7 (Jul. 1981): 234-35; PhotoCrd: Mark Ross.
  57. 57) T. Anton [1982] Robert Metzger; New York City in E.C., "Problems Solved: Robert Metzger Interiors Deals with Time Limitations and an Awkward Space in the Renovation of a Women's Boutique," Interior Design 53, no. 2 (Feb. 1982): 202-203; PhotoCrd: Jaime Ardiles-Arce.
  58. 58) Strawbridge & Clothier [1983] R.J. Ravlik, interior designer; RTKL, architect; Burlington, NJ in E.C., "Other IBD/Interior Design Competition Winners: Shops/Stores/Showrooms, Silver Medal," Interior Design 54, no. 11 (Nov. 1983): 166-67; PhotoCrd: Victoria Lefcourt.
  59. 59) Jigsaw [1997] John Pawson; London, England in Judith Nasatir, "Spare Parts: John Pawson, Master of the New Minimalism, Practices the Aesthetic of Deletion for Jigsaw's Latest London Boutique," Interior Design 68, no. 5 (Apr. 1997): 166-71; PhotoCrd: John Edward Linden, Arcaid.
  60. 60) Cerruti [1999] Antonio Citterio; New York City in Edie Cohen, "Certo Cerruti: Antonio Citterio Makes His American Fashion Debut with a Madison Avenue Flagship Store Designed for the Venerable Italian House of Cerruti," Interior Design 70, no. 11 (Sept. 1999): 214-19; PhotoCrd: Michael Moran.
  61. 61) Gallery More [2007] X-LineDesign; Ilan, Taiwain in Andrew Yang, "More, More, More: With a Boutique Called Gallery More, X-LineDesign Brings Cosmopolitan Chic to Rural Taiwan," Interior Design 78, no. 4 (Apr. 2007): 192-99; PhotoCrd: Marc Gerritsen.
  62. 62) A Bathing Ape (BAPE) [2008] Wonderwall; Tokyo, Japan in Eric Chen, "The Last Days of Disco: It's All Happening at Wonderwall's Tokyo Shop for the Street-Wear Label A Bathing Ape," Interior Design 79, no. 4 (Apr. 2008): 260-65; PhotoCrd: Jimmy Cohrssen.
  63. 63) Quoted in Chen, "The Last Days of Disco," 262.
  64. 64) Elie Saab [2008] Chakib Richani Architects; Paris, France in Mark McMenamin, All Dressed Up: No Place To Go? Follow the Fashionistas from Paris to Hong Kong and Beyond," Interior Design 79, no. 4 (Apr. 2008): 274-75; PhotoCrd: Thibault de St. Chamas.
  65. 65) Murale [2009] Burdifilek; Montreal, Canada in "April Showers...Bring a Flowering of Beauty and Spa Projects," Interior Design 80, no. 4 (Apr. 2009): 156; PhotoCrd: Ben Rahn/A-Frame.
  66. 66) Major et al, Made of Light, 23.
  67. 67) Millet, Light Revealing Architecture, 6.
  68. 68) Evidence for the archetypical use and the chronological sequence of Light Seam in retail interiors was developed from the following sources: 1940 Blackton Shop [c1940] Louis Gluskin, Designer; Wm. Modin, Architect; New York City in Jose A. Fernandez, The Specialty Shop (A Guide) (Cornwall, NY: Architectural Book Publishing Co., Inc., 1950), 69; PhotoCrd: Ben Schnoll; Hahn Shoe Store [c1940] Wm. N. Denton, Jr., Ketchum, Gina & Sharp Associated Architects; Washington, D.C. in Fernandez, The Specialty Shop, 182; PhotoCrd: Ezra Stoller; Jay Thorpe [c1940] Raymond Loewy Associates; New York City in Fernandez, The Specialty Shop, 112; PhotoCrd: Gottscho-Schleisner / 1950 S.S. Pierce Co. [1951] Walter Dorwin Teague, Robert J. Harper and Carl R. Conrad, Associates; Chestnut Hill, MA in Anonymous, "Two Stores for Boston, Mass.,"  Architectural Record 109, no. 3 (Mar. 1951): 141; PhotoCrd: Richard Averill Smith; Robert Liner Watchmaker Shop [1951] Mark & Joyce Sink; Beverly Hills, CA in Anonymous, "Robert Liner Watchmaker Shop," Architectural Record 110, no. 2 (Aug. 1951): 120; PhotoCrd: Lou Jacobs Jr. / 1960 Strawbridge and Clothier [1962] Victor Gruen Associates, architect; Welton Becket and Associates, interior designer; Cherry Hill, NJ in Anonymous, "Shopping on the Mall," Interior Design 33, no. 2 (Feb. 1962): 107; PhotoCrd: Chas. P. Mills & Son; Woollands Department Store [1962] John Siddeley, A.I.D.; London, England in Anonymous, "Showrooms," Interior Design 33, no. 4  (Apr. 1962): 195; PhotoCrd: Pamela Chandler / 1970 Neiman Marcus [1973] Eleanor Le Maire Associates, interior designer; John Carl Warnecke & Associates, architects; Dallas, TX in Anonymous, "Symbol of Quality and Style: New Neiman Marcus Store is Designed as Symbolic Perpetuation of a Proud Reputation," Interior Design 44, no. 1 (Jan. 1973): 72; PhotoCrd: Alexandre Georges; Bergdorf Goodman [1975] Eleanor Le Maire Associates, Inc., interior designer; Jonh Carl Warnecke & Associates, architect; White Plains, NY in Anonymous, "Two Stores: Both the Work of the Same Design Firm, Bergdorf Goodman (White Plains) and Neiman Marcus (St. Louis) Posed Different Problems and Required Disparate Solutions," Interior Design 46, no. 4 (Apr. 1975): 154; PhotoCrd: Martin Helfer / 1980 Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards [1981] Mark Cohen; New York City in E.C., "Fashioned on Park Avenue: The Susan Bennis/Warren Edwards Shop for Shoes, Designed by Mark Cohen," Interior Design 52, no. 7 (Jul. 1981): 235; PhotoCrd: Mark Ross; T. Anton [1982] Robert Metzger; New York City in E.C., "Problems Solved: Robert Metzger Interiors Deals with Time Limitations and an Awkward Space in the Renovation of a Women's Boutique," Interior Design 53, no. 2 (Feb. 1982): 203; PhotoCrd: Jaime Ardiles-Arce; Strawbridge & Clothier [1983] R.J. Ravlik, interior designer; RTKL, architect; Burlington, NJ in E.C., "Other IBD/Interior Design Competition Winners: Shops/Stores/Showrooms, Silver Medal," Interior Design 54, no. 11 (Nov. 1983): 167; PhotoCrd: Victoria Lefcourt / 1990 Jigsaw [1997] John Pawson; London, England in Judith Nasatir, "Spare Parts: John Pawson, Master of the New Minimalism, Practices the Aesthetic of Deletion for Jigsaw's Latest London Boutique," Interior Design 68, no. 5 (Apr. 1997): 169, 171; PhotoCrd: John Edward Linden, Arcaid; Cerruti [1999] Antonio Citterio; New York City in Edie Cohen, "Certo Cerruti: Antonio Citterio Makes His American Fashion Debut with a Madison Avenue Flagship Store Designed for the Venerable Italian House of Cerruti," Interior Design 70, no. 11 (Sept. 1999): 214-16; PhotoCrd: Michael Moran / 2000 Gallery More [2007] X-LineDesign; Ilan, Taiwain in Andrew Yang, "More, More, More: With a Boutique Called Gallery More, X-LineDesign Brings Cosmopolitan Chic to Rural Taiwan," Interior Design 78, no. 4 (Apr. 2007): 198; PhotoCrd: Marc Gerritsen; A Bathing Ape (BAPE) [2008] Wonderwall; Tokyo, Japan in Eric Chen, "The Last Days of Disco: It's All Happening at Wonderwall's Tokyo Shop for the Street-Wear Label A Bathing Ape," Interior Design 79, no. 4 (Apr. 2008): 263, 265; PhotoCrd: Jimmy Cohrssen; Elie Saab [2008] Chakib Richani Architects; Paris, France in Mark McMenamin, All Dressed Up: No Place To Go? Follow the Fashionistas from Paris to Hong Kong and Beyond," Interior Design 79, no. 4 (Apr. 2008): 274; PhotoCrd: Thibault de St. Chamas; Murale [2009] Burdifilek; Montreal, Canada in "April Showers...Bring a Flowering of Beauty and Spa Projects," Interior Design 80, no. 4 (Apr. 2009): 156; PhotoCrd: Ben Rahn/A-Frame.

bibliographic citations

1) The Interior Archetypes Research and Teaching Project, Cornell University, www.intypes.cornell.edu (accessed month & date, year).

2) Malyak, Kristin. Light Seam, "Theory Studies: Archetypical Retail Practices in Contemporary Interior Design," M.A. Thesis, Cornell University, 2011, 169-201.