Kasi Kirkpatrick - Week 7 - Site Specific

I took a visit to the Irvine Spectrum this week and the overall feeling of the location was CHRISTMAS! There were lights everywhere- even on the floor. The palm trees, shops, bushes, lounging areas, Ferris wheel, and eating locations were all pleasantly lit and definitely accomplished the feeling of Christmas. There was also a ginormous Christmas tree and a skating rink providing a winter wonderland feel that made me want to grab some hot chocolate and bask in the environment. It was moderately busy with the sound of soft music playing and people chatting and enjoying their night out. 

As I walked through the Spectrum I was overwhelmed noticing all the "good and bad" lighting of stores. I honestly never paid much attention to the designs or how I was affected by the lighting. I began to look at the themes and how well they were executed, and the one place I felt provided that for me was

 Robata Wasa. The restaurant Robata Wasa had a feeling of elegance, and simplicity while still letting their audience know it is a Japanese restaurant, providing a special light to their logo and blue banner. The use of lighting from below, above, and inside was the perfect glow for my eyes, and even though I knew it was probably expensive it felt inviting. I loved that the name of the restaurant had lights and the hint of red in the "O" felt sexy and mysterious. It reminded me of a mansion with manicured lighting and the shadow in the middle gave symmetry to the space. Even glancing at the welcome table I can see their use of light from above as if water is running down. I also noticed their chandeliers and how that made the space expand. The colors of creme, blue, and brown worked beautifully together and had a good use of texture and minimalism.  I'm interested in how this restaurant looks during the day but nonetheless, I want to come back now and try it out. 

One store that did not succeed in a lighting concept or theme was San Lorenzo Bikinis. I could barely read the sign because there was no light in the name, it was just black and hardly visible. It makes a huge difference in my decision to go in or not if the lighting in the name is lit up or if there is something to catch my eye. Also, the lighting inside the store seemed harsh and too bright for my liking. Another observation is the placement of the sign could have been in the center of the windows, when I was walking by I thought it was two different stores. I would suggest adding pink, orange, or purple lighting on the outside and a softer light on the inside.  Overall it felt boring or unfinished.