Lighting by Williams Illuminates Boston University’s Fine Arts Center

Boston University’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre and College of Fine Arts Production Center was designed to be a demonstration of the University’s commitment to professional arts education. Not only is this space made for performing artists, but it also houses programs for theatrical production where items for the stage is created. Williams was tasked with illuminating the action behind the scenes.

"It was important that we found a family of fixtures that met the design criteria first. We needed as little shadowing in these rooms as possible," says Sabra Zacharias, Associate Principal at AuerbachGlasow. 

The design team used Williams’s full range of products paired with Enlighted controls to ensure that no detail was left in the shadows. RND Round Architectural & 97 Enclosed Industrial Lights matched the design criteria while limiting the amount of shadowing in the rooms. 

"This is a 24-hour facility, so this room needs to be this bright whenever someone’s in it. Occupancy sensors were important to the safety of the students," says Zacharias. 

In the hallway, 4’ drums were used with custom RAL orange coloring to match the aesthetic of the mural. 

"We were actually able to find a standard product that provided the aesthetic and scale necessary to achieve the design intent. It was a bonus to find out that the manufacturer could actually provide a custom color that the architect selected to match the mural in the hallway," says Zacharias. 

The Williams lighting and controls portfolio is at the center of Human Centric design, shaping the experience of those who use the space every day. So ask yourself: does art imitate light?