Viewed from below the grand staircase, the portraits appear naturally lit, free from glare or spill light, preserving both comfort and historical integrity.
THE BUSINESS OF LIGHTING DESIGN™
Reawakening Washington and Adams In the grand staircase of the Harvard Club of Boston, two portraits, one of George Washington and one of John Adams, had watched over generations of alumni in dim silence. Visitors would often gather beneath the ornate chandelier to snap photos for social media, unaware that the artwork, shrouded in shadow and glare, had lost much of its original vibrancy. When Lana Nathe, principal of Light Insight Design Studio, was brought in to “just light the paintings,” she immediately saw the potential to transform not only the portraits but the entire experience of the space. What began as a small lighting improvement evolved into a twoyear collaboration that bridged conservation, technology, and design.
A Fragile Canvas
The project came with unusual challenges. The Harvard Club’s walls were made of horsehair plaster, part of the building’s original construction. They couldn’t be touched or drilled into without risking damage. The ceiling, positioned over a sweeping
staircase, was equally off-limits. “The challenge,” Lana explained, “was how to create museumquality art lighting without a single anchor point.” The existing fixtures—small LED picture lights at 4000K— produced hotspots and washed-out color. “They were the wrong temperature, too cold,” Lana said. “Everything looked flat and lifeless. The first step was finding a way to deliver warmer, more even illumination.”
A New Fixture for a New Need
After searching worldwide, Lana found no fixture that met her requirements for size, precision, and color rendering. “I turned to elliptipar, an American company I trusted for wall washing.” elliptipar had an LED wall washer with potential, but nothing designed for fine art. Working with the company’s engineers, Lana helped adapt their technology into a new format. The result became known as the artZi—a compact, high-CRI linear luminaire built specifically for large portrait illumination.
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designing lighting
By RANDY REID Photo Credit: Emily O' Brien Photography; Boston