Tag Archive for: exhibition design

So, you may or may not be fully aware, but S3 is developing a new ‘design department’ and it will focus on Architectural Lighting Design. Design projects can range from Residential to Commercial, from Institutional to Exhibition, and really, anything in between. Whatever specialty lighting design challenge is out there, I want to tackle it!

I would like to start off by featuring one of our latest design projects recently realized for Sightlines Photography. We were commissioned to design a trade show booth for this photographer, who showcases  yearly at the Wonderful Wedding Show at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. Although this was not a stand-alone lighting project, as the booth itself was design by S3 as well, I thought it was a great way to start showing what we can do with interesting lighting techniques.

Design Requirements

• The owner has asked for a clean, contemporary look that represents the style and personality of the company
• The design must capture the visitors’ attention as many other booths are competing for the same business
• Lighting the displayed photographs are of utmost importance
• Storage for marketing material, and other supply items to be incorporated into the design

Project Limitations

• The whole booth must remain within a 10′ x 10′ allocated lease space, and no taller than 8′ in height
• The entire structure must be able to be assembled/disassembled by 1-2 people, and must be compacted to store in the off season
• Size of the booth, must be able to reduce in size depending on other trade show leasing space size

The Concept

The entire concept for this booth stemmed from the company’s interesting logo, which is meant to represent perspective ‘sight’lines receding to a vanishing point. As this photographer has a keen interest for architectural photography, I thought it appropriate to accentuate this concept.

Since cleanliness, and maintenance was a great concern, using a black background with white lines was a better choice that white with black lines. And since I wanted to incorporate lighting, white lines seemed most appropriate. The inspiration for the lighting came from a detail once seen in a hotel corridor. (see image below).

The resulting concept was presented to the client with a 3D graphic model.

Developing and Implementing the Design

Lighting details were incorporated into the sides, to accentuate the strong white lines of the concept. After working with scaled mockups, the sides of each panel were illuminated with linear LEDs through crisp, white panes of plexiglass. The photographs were also illuminated using linear LEDs, although in this application, encased in a metal channel built into the small shelving units above.

Once the playing with foam core and light fittings in the office was done, off to the ‘drawing board’ I went to get the design package together for the contractor.

Furniture Plan

Front Elevation

Electrical Plan

Working closely with the contractor/electrician as well as the client, we refined (and are still making a few minor adjustments) to the lighting details. We experienced some issues when the linear LED tape wasn’t staying put in the sidelights. And after having received the wrong metal channels for the photograph display lighting, there still needs to be some added valence to conceal the units. But it’s starting to all come together! What’s a lighting project that doesn’t throw you a few curve balls along the way 😉

(And if you look really closely at the wedding photograph below, you’ll notice that it’s actually of me and my now-husband. Sightlines was our wedding photographer and did a lovely job capturing our day.)

Once most of the kinks were mainly worked out, Sightlines was ready to open up the booth for business! We’re all really pleased here with how it all turned out, but most importantly, we’re happy that the client was excited about it in the end. That is our number one goal; to create the experience that more than satisfies the client (and in turn their own clients).

Can’t wait to showcase more exciting lighting design projects as they come in!

Elaina