685 Third Avenue Lobby Lighting Design

Located steps from Grand Central Terminal is 685 Third Avenue, which was

recently renovated to infuse a state of well-being into its patrons and visitors. The redesign

embeds scientifically proven methods of Human-Centric Lighting and real plant life. It was

important to the ownership that their space, which comprises fifty commercial businesses,

presented a feeling of wellness, modern style, and earth-conscious aesthetics within the

corporate environment.



Ranging from an underground single story height to triple height ceilings, it was important to

maintain a consistent brightness throughout the space, while not allowing any oppressive

impact from the low ceiling space. This was accomplished by photometric studies of

downlighting the space and implementing a creative presence of light beyond the visible plane.

An architectural feature that allowed us to explore this was the grid array of columns. In order to

create dimensionality, we coordinated cove lighting in each column's ceiling detail by wrapping

them with hidden bright tunable white fixtures. This gave the visual effect that there was a plane

beyond the ceiling, and that each column shot up infinitely to the sky.



Plant life was important to the client, and was a challenge due to the lack of sunlight. After thorough research,

Sunlike technology became a clear solution; presenting standardized 3000K warm white

downlighting, and an added layer of plant growth support. Sunlike-equipped fixtures mimic

sunlight by emitting full spectrum light to support growth and render colors accurately, all while

improving well-being and enhancing cognitive performance.



An amenities space was constructed to boost our wellness approach to the project, and allows

users to take a breath and have a moment of escape. This was achieved through an open lit

ceiling with minimal structural elements. Fixtures in this space change from cool to warm white

during the day to ease stress on human circadian rhythms.



The lighting design for 685 Third Avenue is state-of-the-art. It represents an incredible

commitment to problem-solving and human well-being, while delivering beautiful and clean

aesthetics that uplift patrons every single day.