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Asymmetric fixtures built into the perimeter cove and integrated into upper pendants illuminate brick veneer barrel vault. The Trolley sculpture focal point is illuminated with four layers of light; art accents from above, perimeter lighting around the sculpture, linear wall grazers to prevent the windows form going dark, and the final accent piece is the retrofit LED filament lamp within the restored headlight.  The hotel can now truthfully tout on their website, “Our lobby is an energetic space that transitions as the day does...”



Location: Dallas, Texas
Completion: 2017
Scope: Interior Lighting, Exterior Site, Exterior Façade
Design Team: WDG Architecture, DLR Group Interior Design
Publications: Architectural Digest 2022
Photography: Sean Gallagher

Nestled in a neighborhood urban environment of high-rise residential, dense retail, and restaurants, this boutique hotel caters to a varied customer base from business travelers, to local events participants, to wedding parties. The large reception lounge is an open concept, hosting the entry welcome desk, generous seating area, a semi- circular bar, work tables, and casual dining. A large brick-veneer barrel vault is the connecting element that starts at the entry, travels over the seating area and ends at the casual dining with an actual refurbished piece of the M-Line trolley car on the wall at this far end. Guests start with breakfast at the casual dining and bar seating, and throughout the day conduct business, lounge, and watch sporting events at the multi-screen bar. It is a busy, yet welcoming area.  



Art walls are washed for flexibility in art program.  The reception desk is anchored by flanking sconces.  Special care was made to center the pendant over the reception desk and equidistant down the central brick barrel vault spine of the space.  The business lounge is simple and fresh with cove lights to highlight wall covering and art locations.  The lighting control system allows the lounge to be appropriate for business functions and remote working by day while transitioning to a moody and sexy cocktail lounge in the evenings.



On the roof deck, an indoor- outdoor bar and lounge area takes advantage of awesome downtown views. Light levels are carefully tuned to allow patrons to see one another and comfortably circulate, yet give the skyline the prominence that makes this space.  Adjacent to this space are the conference rooms and fitness center. Looking towards interior, tape-lighting at mirror perimeter provides a floating appearance.  Other millwork lighting under bar top gives a bar-front glow.  Fixtures built into the liquor risers draws attention to merchandise.  Warm color temperatures accent the warm brick veneer.



Hotel suites are carefully appointed with a back-lit canopy above each bed and a bedside control system to provide various scenes for the room. The challenge, as is the case with many hotels, was a tight budget, especially for the hotel suites but even for the amenity spaces.  The guest suite by day shows off the warm color temperature used to give guestrooms a residential feel at night. Indirect light cove provides ample illumination for work or leisure.


The stone entry wall went through many design iterations from a series of lit Morse Code dot/dashes, to this simple, lowest-cost, branding color wash.  The stone wall now participates with city wide lighting campaigns like Pride, OU/Texas weekend, and Independence Day celebrations.  Most other evenings, the facade is a classic warm white color to highlight the warm limestone or the orange branding color for Canopy Hotels.