Ellen Lighting

With more than 100,000 square-feet, this building has a showroom with a retail component, an office and warehouse space. The facility is concrete tilt-wall with glass curtain wall, form liner wood pattern panels, and showcases a dramatic two-story portal entry. The open lobby includes the owner's own high-end light fixtures, a coffee bar and a floating staircase with solid wood treads and steel cable handrails.

The client needed to incorporate retail, office and warehouse/distribution space into one facility. The flexibility in design and texture allowed by tilt-wall afforded the ability to blend the functions together in a coherent manner. Specifically, the economy in constructing a large warehouse facility using tilt-wall was complemented well by the ability of concrete to take on multiple textures and shapes. The form-liner used for the office and retail sections provided a realistic wood-grain look that greatly added to the depth of design at the front of the building. A 50-foot wide grand entry portal, erected with a 16 point lift, creates a dramatic entry that suites the high-end tenant, while being economical. Bands of curtain wall give the feel of ribbon windows, however, the use of butt glazing creates a smooth, continuous look to contrast against the painted and textured concrete panels. In combination with the stone application at the entry, as well as the curtain-wall system used along the front of the building, the tilt-wall panels created the upscale facade that the client desired.