Project Overview
The Frick Collection, one of New York City’s most celebrated art museums, is renowned as much for its exquisite Gilded Age architecture as for its collection of Old Master paintings. Built in 1914 as the private home of Henry Clay Frick and one of the first New York mansions to be wired for electricity at initial construction, the building was always planned to live on as a museum for his personal art collection after his death.
The museum recently completed a sweeping renovation led by Annabelle Selldorf of Selldorf Architects with Beyer Blinder Belle, in conjunction with the curatorial and conservation teams of The Frick Collection. Selldorf's design philosophy was guided by “restrained aesthetics” – neither attempting to introduce an entirely new character to the building nor precisely mimic the original style, but creating equilibrium in the balance. Lighting design firm L’Observatoire International was engaged to support Selldorf’s vision in areas of new construction as well as the historic Garden Court, where carefully integrated layers of illumination were used to recreate the sensation of natural light.
Now the illusion of natural light in the Garden Court is fully realized. Images courtesy L'Observatoire International.
“We wanted to keep the feeling of the sky above, giving the sense that there’s life beyond the space.” explained Jenny Ivansson, the Project Director for L’Observatoire International. Each original glass pane of the laylight was cleaned and preserved, while a new insulated glass layer replaced the outer skylight with laminated UV-filtering protects the artworks below. Ketra intelligent lamps are hidden above the layer to mimic the beauty of daylight without compromising the art. To achieve the feeling of natural sunlight, Ketra S38 Lamps, controlled by Lutron’s Athena system, were programmed to a color temperature of 3200K during the day, gradually shifting to a warmer 2200K once the sun sets. “As the space is often used for special events like galas and balls, we also programmed in an 1800K ‘Gilded Age’ setting, recreating what the space would feel like under the golden glow of candlelight,” said Ivansson.
Rambusch Lighting was engaged to develop an improved suspended lighting bridge spanning the Garden Atrium gallery to house Ketra S38 Lamps. Drawing courtesy Rambusch Lighting.
Lutron’s advanced control systems were strategically selected to meet both design intent and customer needs. Beyond aesthetics, the new lighting system enhances efficiency, reduces setup time for events, and provides staff with unprecedented control over the museum environment. The museum’s engineering team can instantly adjust lighting for daily schedules or special events.
While Lutron’s Athena system and intelligent Ketra lamps are utilized in the Garden Court to create a dynamic, natural lighting experience, a Quantum control system was specified to deliver centralized control in the museum's other public areas. Galleries that couldn't physically be connected with the centralized system are controlled with Lutron Grafik Eyes. Together, Lutron’s suite of control solutions gives lighting designers the freedom and flexibility to specify the most appropriate control for each space, without compromising performance or value.
The Frick Collection’s renovation exemplifies how thoughtful design and advanced technology can honor heritage while meeting the needs of a modern museum - creating natural light experiences that surprise and delight visitors every day.
