Crystal Bridges

A twin-rail structure was specially designed by Safdie Architects and LAM Partners to illuminate the beautiful new lobby at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. After ten years of welcoming visitors, the museum founded by philanthropist Alice Walton recently underwent an expansion to add nearly 100,000 square feet to the 200,000-square-foot facility.

This exciting project included a circular, glass-domed lobby for which Stoane Lighting created a custom solution to accentuate the dome with white and RGB light, as well as bring general and accent illumination into the space. The thirty-foot diameter chandelier features thirty-six adjustable and lockable museum spec spotlights with integrated drivers evenly pitched between the two rings. Structured-steel suspension cables ensure that the 475-pound fixture is secure and easily adjusted.

The design process was a cooperation between the design team at LAM/Safdie and Stoane Lighting. Multiple versions of very detailed drawings were produced to communicate all aspects of the lighting, lighting controls, mechanical and aesthetic requirements. Finally, a fully-functional sample section was produced and shipped to the site to provide all parties with an opportunity to review the design. Once the complete product was produced, it was carefully packaged in crates and shipped to the site. Included with the shipment were detailed instructions on installation and maintenance.

Stoane Lighting products are designed to be aesthetically simple without superfluous detail, complementing both contemporary and heritage spaces and made to order responsibly. These luminaires integrate seamlessly into any environment while delivering high-performance lighting. Sustainability is paramount to Stoane Lighting and that factors into the products they create. Light sources, controls and mounting mechanisms can all be changed and upgraded as site usage requires. A five-year warranty and twenty-year duty-of-care support comes as standard.

The new and improved lobby enhanced with custom lighting provides a more convenient and comfortable visitor experience. To learn more about the Crystal Bridges museum, click here to see the story CBS Sunday Morning aired on April 24th.