Light Music is an immersive sculptural lobby and lounge created for a residential building in the heart of Washington DC’s Adams Morgan. It takes inspiration from the rich musical legacy of the neighborhood. The result is a unique project that combines cutting edge digital fabrication methods with artisanal techniques to create an interior world with its own pulse and rhythm that pays homage to the vibrant original music of DC and transforms the space into an original work of art.

In the lobby, light is used as a sculptural material to interpret music. To do this, 23 custom backlit panels were fabricated using the score of Duke Ellington songs visualized like patterns on player piano rolls. The surfaces of the panels were hand gilded with aluminum leaf. Light glows through the notes and creates a three-dimensional aura. The dramatic effect, seen from the street, is striking and draws people into the building.  

Bas-relief wall panels composed of syncopated organic shapes unite the lobby to the lounge, but in the lounge, the sculptural relief defines the mood. A 10-foot tall Corian screen separates a communal table from a chic seating area. Reverse hand gilded inset glass mirrors become windows. The push and pull of the forms and surfaces create a rhythmic and rich environment that visually imagines a musical score.

Collaboration with Aaron Yassin / ATMOS