Custom emergency light fixture
EXIT is a custom exit light produced for the Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, Texas, where forty-two fixtures are installed. Interloop A/D designed and fabricated the exit lights, working directly with engineers, fabricators, UL technicians, and the graphic design firm 2×4. In keeping with city, state, and federal safety standards, every emergency light fixture must undergo extensive testing by the Underwriter Laboratories Testing Center to meet a wide range of design criteria. These stringent technical requirements typically thwart innovation by limiting new design, requiring the exclusive use of existing UL approved components.
With EXIT the majority of electronics are detached from the lamp itself so that the acrylic letters E-X-I-T and the minimal stainless steel brackets are the only visible elements. This approach was achieved by using a low-voltage light emitting diode (LED) configuration and light-gauge wiring so that the power source could be installed remotely, up to twenty feet from the light fixture. The letters were detached and given a thickness by milling acrylic to produce a lens with a structural shape. Custom circuit boards and stainless steel backing plates were then laminated to this translucent lens to create a stable diaphragm, eliminating the need for large enclosures or heavy brackets.
Contact: Interloop Architecture, Houston, TX, USA.
For more information, see Transmaterial: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine our Physical Environment
