“Tulees” are one of the highly customized details at Logan Center for the Arts that signify the importance of the creative act. Lining both of the side walls in the main performance space, the LED sculptures create a dramatic seventy-five feet long lighting accent and compliments the softer lighting levels in the 474 seat performance hall.

The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, is a 184,000 sf multi-use creative space for arts and scholarship located on the Midway on the University of Chicago campus. Billed as a mixing-bowl for the arts, the LEED Gold Certified building houses the departments of visual arts, film, music, and theater under one roof. These disciplines were previously scattered throughout the campus in ill-equipped facilities. The design of the 11-story Center is inspired by the “flat prairies of the Midwest and the great towers of Chicago” and the performance hall is a main public feature and “precious space.”

While it is optimized for music, the performance hall is designed to be flexible for all types of performances including theater, dance, and film. The design is highly technical, with the custom lighting working within the constraints of acoustic requirements. The client originally conceived the accent lighting to create a firefly effect using fiber optics. We worked with the architects and acoustic engineers to create an LED lighting solution that would be quieter and not require the use of fans. The LED tulees are placed in front of reflective glass to create the desired ephemeral aesthetic while softening the edges of where the cherry wood and sound dampening fabric walls meet. The warm glow of the tulees picks up the gold flecks in the silver fabric. Tied into the theatrical lighting system, the tulees are controlled from the performance hall’s main lighting board.

“Wonderful facility! A hidden treasure on the south side of Chicago!”

John, Performance Hall Visitor

Client: David and Reva Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
Size: 75ft long x 2in wide on each wall.
LED: 1652 Tulees; 4in, 6in, and 8in stem lengths.
Cost: $120,000
Project Status: Completed 2012
Team: Tod Williams Bille Tsien Architects (Design Architects), Renfro Design Group (Lighting), RUSH Design (Fabricator), Schuler Shook (Theater Consultant), Kirkegaard Associates (Acoustical), Huen Electric (Electrical), Holabird & Root (Associate Architect), Turner Construction (Construction Manager)
Photographer: Tom Rossiter