Solow Building

Fifty years after its construction, the iconic Solow Building, known for its curved facades and Ivan Chermayeff “9” sculpture, got a complete interior redesign by SOM. With a focus on freshness and comfort for all tenants, the updates included a new amenities level as well as a fitness center in the basement. And of course, new, updated lighting. Nanometer partnered with One Lux Studio and Francis Milloy for two separate projects using NanoTex products for crisp, modern lighting in places of work, gathering, and privacy.

Park Lounge

Located on the 27th floor, Park Lounge is 20,000 square feet of modern comfort accessible to all building tenants, with conference rooms as well as bar and dining areas for both collaborative work and recreational gathering.

To maintain a calm, inviting atmosphere, lighting designer Francis Milloy installed NanoTex Perimeter along a wall of greenery and marble. The soft static white LEDs create an atmosphere of clarity, while the combination of the T1 Sustainable Efficient fabric and the upper dust layer ensure the most seamless lighting possible that complements both work meetings and more informal gatherings.

The NanoTex Perimeter fixtures do more than just illuminate the space for its human occupants. Equipped with Very High output LEDs, they also function as “grow lights” for the plants, ensuring a lush oasis year round. The LEDs in NanoTex fixtures are available in a range of outputs to meet varying needs in different environments.

The Private Workspace

A few floors down from the Park Lounge, Nanometer and One Lux Studio teamed up to provide lighting for multiple spaces within the offices of a confidential client. These included recessed NanoTex Square fixtures above staircases, illuminating the stairs and connecting the multiple levels of the office. These recessed fixtures feature multiple panels that echo the shape of the ceiling panels for a sense of cohesion, while also subtly indicating the location of the staircase for easy navigation throughout the office.

Illumination was also needed in the office’s multiple restrooms, found on each of their floors. The space needed to evoke cleanliness and provide ample lighting for people freshening up. To provide equal illumination across the sinks, and to take advantage of the mirrors, One Lux used the NanoTex Perimeter with one long, unbroken textile lens. The fixture was fitted on site, as the NanoTex Perimeter is field-adjustable, so the result is an entirely seamless illumination that washes the entire sink area while being reflected in the mirrors for bright but flattering light.

The Fitness Center

Though below ground, the Solow fitness center is flooded with natural light thanks to a skylight opening to the building’s glass-enclosed ground-floor rotunda. However, the locker rooms would require more privacy, while still providing adequate light for tenants.

To unify this communal space with the amenities level some 28 stories above, Francis Milloy used same NanoTex Perimeter fixtures here. Similar to the One Lux-designed installation in the private restrooms, NanoTex Perimeter fixtures are recessed above the mirrors and sinks for even illumination and reflected light. In this case, they lie flush with the ceiling to continue the clean, modern look found throughout the space.

In the Park Lounge, the private restrooms, and the Fitness Center locker rooms, the NanoTex Perimeter offers seamless lighting across long stretches, as well as roomside access for comparatively easy maintenance. Located above planters and sinks, this ease of access is especially important. And because the NanoTex Perimeter is available in lengths up to 164 feet, the fixtures are all adjustable in the field to accommodate each space with no distracting seams or joins.