Week #7 Irvine Spectrum After Hours

For my site specific blog assignment, I visited the Irvine Spectrum. Unfortunately, I visited the shopping center around 9:00pm, after many of the shops had closed. As I wandered around the nearly abandoned shopping center, I was struck by how eerie everything looked. There was still a fair amount of lighting; the lamps, fountains, shop windows, and even the Ferris wheel were all lit; but because a lot of the lights in the actual shops were out, everything looked two dimensional and uninviting. Because the space was so empty the shadows stood out, adding to the eeriness of the scene.

I could definitely see how this distribution of light served the shopping center after-hours. The space was lit so that you could find your way, but it was not welcoming. Maybe it's because I watch too many horror movies, but the unfinished use of light gave me the impression that I was somewhere I was not suppose to be. I found myself looking over my shoulder often and anxious to get back to my car.

There were a few areas that still showed sights of life. One, was an outdoor food court surrounded by neon lights embedded in the pavement. The use of colour in this area was warm and inviting.

In this food court, the restaurant Pho SaiGon Pearl stood out for its effective use of light. I would describe the overall theme of the restaurant as inviting, calm and homey. Whereas most of the restaurants surrounding Pho SaiGon Pearl looked like reproducible commercial chains, this restaurant had individual touches like paintings, lanterns and live plants that made it seem more authentic. The signage of the store and the colour scheme of the decor inside were complimentary to the lighting used in the outdoor seating area. This harmony made the restaurant seem inviting. The use of rich purples, oranges and reds made the restaurant look a comfortable. The lanterns hanging inside the restaurant were particularly effective; the way they glowed mirrored the lights in the side walk outside and lit the space without casting harsh light on the patrons. (Unfortunately, the camera on my phone blew out the photo a little bit).

Across from Pho SaiGon Pearl, in the same food court, was a Chipotle. Chipotle is an international chain, so I imagine that the lighting for these restaurants is the same brand-wide. The themes evident in the visible design elements were: industrial, paired-down, and efficient. The lighting was harsh and bright. The white light was in direct conflict with the purples, oranges and reds in the outdoor seating area. Because of this contrast, I got the impression that going into this Chipotle would break the sense of comfort and warmth the outdoor lighting had created for me. In fact, peering at it from the outside, the restaurant looked cold. Because Chipotle is such a well known chain, I suspect that its design team is more interested in staying on-brand, than tailoring its lighting to a specific venue. Whether or not Chipotle's use of bright, industrial lighting was effective in this setting, the restaurant was certainly identifiable as a Chipotle. Maybe I would have felt differently about it's use of light it if I had been hungry and craving a burrito.