Falling into Wonderland: Unveiling the Mesmerizing Lighting Design of Caveau
Beneath Boston’s busy streets, behind a seemingly unassuming storefront filled with curiosities, lies Caveau, a magical restaurant and nightclub. Color changing lighting creates a rich sensory experience that evolves with the time of day and the mood of its guests.
Focus Lighting, the lighting design firm behind the project, orchestrated a seamless integration of lighting fixtures and controls that enhances the dreamlike feel of the space. Ryan Fischer, Senior Lighting Designer at Focus Lighting, explained, “The design team’s concept was to create a ‘discovered space’ within the crumbling vaults of an urban subway system.”
Upon entry into the space, MICRO 5 TILT fixtures illuminate apothecary-style shelves filled with vintage potion bottles and decor, creating a floating effect that adds to the sense of entering a hidden space. Fischer emphasized, “It was important to have a very small profile for some of the details because we wanted to get the shelves to look like they’re floating while maintaining a consistent warm glow.”
The main space features intricate rock walls and overflowing flowers crafted by a theme park artist. “Lighting was key in accentuating the contrasting textures of stone and overgrown floral elements,” Fischer noted. “We underwent a series of mockups in relation to the rockwork lining around the perimeter, which required collaboration between our designers, the fabricators, and QTL.”
Static white and color changing lighting was mixed to create two distinct Caveau vibes: intimate and warm, and vibrant nightlife. During the early evening hours, 2200K LED fixtures create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Soft highlights on the decor and architectural details bring an understated elegance to the space, making it perfect for intimate gatherings. As the evening transitions into late-night revelry, DMX-controlled color-changing lights transform Caveau into a otherworldly nightclub.
“The biggest challenge here was making that transition between the static and dynamic lighting and controlling it all in a way that enhanced the experience. We wanted to ensure that the warm 2200K lighting complemented the dynamic, rich colors without visual clashes or inconsistencies,” Ryan explained. The entire lighting system was integrated into a DMX-controlled system, ensuring seamless synchronization and adaptability.
Focus Lighting incorporated QTL’s MICRO 5 and flexible Q-CAP fixture families into architectural details to achieve a clean, clutter-free design. MICRO 5 TILT fixtures provided the precision necessary for highlighting key bar shelving details. Ryan noted, "ANYBEND worked perfectly in the curved bottle riser because of its small profile and adaptability to the architecture's unique contours."
At Caveau, lighting isn’t just an accessory – it’s the main character. Every lighting decision enhances the guest experience. Layers of lighting – spanning warm tones to dramatic, dynamic effects – create a sensory experience that keeps guests engaged. Ryan summarizes, “Lighting was key in creating an underground, cave-like atmosphere that draws people into the space and keeps them engaged.”
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