Quinn Emanual Urquhart & Sullivan LLP – NYC Office

The New Look of Law: A Textile Showroom transforms to a collaborative work space

Location: New York, NY

Products: X Series, X Series Cylinder, M Series, M Series Cylinder

Lighting Designer:  The SEED

Architect: STUDIOS

Photography Credit: David Mitchell

This Fifth Avenue  office demanded a nuanced lighting strategy that could simultaneously support high-stakes litigation and embody the firm’s modern, “Substance Over Appearances” culture. The resulting design solution prioritized seamless architectural integration to maintain the building’s raw, historic character. This goal was achieved through a highly layered lighting approach: Flangeless downlights were utilized extensively to achieve a virtually invisible light source, preserving the clean aesthetic of the ceilings and walls. For enhanced flexibility and focused illumination in collaboration zones and high-task areas, the design incorporated both double head housings and cylinders. This variety of solutions provides the necessary high-performance illumination for intense work while offering the ability to direct and focus light, thereby enhancing the layered atmosphere and the richness of the interior materials. The result is a sophisticated environment where the lighting is essential to the architecture, creating a warm, comfortable space that remains functional and visually uncluttered—a true reflection of a cutting-edge law firm.

X Series Cylinder & M Series Cylinder

Utilizing a suite of customizable features, DMF cylinders offer both brilliant illumination and sophisticated design versatility. The M Series Cylinder (4″ extrusion) and the X Series Cylinder (3″ extrusion) showcase advanced engineering with all driver and electrical components seamlessly built within the cylinder extrusion, ensuring no external hardware, deep canopys, or ceiling clutter. These high-performing LED modules are designed for ultimate adaptability, featuring trim options, uplight capability, and robust housings for indoor, outdoor, and wet locations. Further expanding their utility, DMF cylinders provide a vast array of mounting styles, including wall, surface, stem, and cord mounts, delivering a comprehensive lighting solution tailored for any project need.

X Series

The X Series is DMF’s two-inch high-performance product line, delivering between 750 and 1500 lumens. This smaller aperture system was ideally suited for this project where a minimal visual footprint was critical to preserving the integrity of the architecturally rich interiors and the extensive wood ceilings. To ensure the clean, seamless aesthetic expected, the drivers are embedded within the light engine (as opposed to the housing) for below the ceiling accessibility. Furthermore, the X Series housings feature a unique trap door that provides crucial post-install access to the splice box from below the ceiling plane—a feature vital for simplified serviceability in challenging, non-accessible materials like the finished wood used throughout the project. The X Series offering includes both downlight and adjustable modules, allowing for uncompromised performance, seamless finishes, and unmatched ease of serviceability.

M Series

The M Series  is  DMF’s most versatile product offering as exemplified in the double housing installation throughout this application.  Centered around a compact, four-inch, plug-and-play LED module with an embedded driver, the M Series delivers the optimal balance of form and function. Paired with one of the award-winning M Series Housings, you can achieve fire, sound, wet location, and other ratings required for the most demanding projects.  The M Series, true to all DMF offerings, provides outstanding illumination and color consistency while being simple to specify, install, and maintain.

About The SEED

The SEED (Studio of Embodied Experience Design) is a professional architectural lighting design consultancy focused on integrating light with human experience and architectural goals. Founded by Golsana Heshmati, The SEED believes that lighting is an essential layer of design that enhances the well-being, performance, and emotional connection of people within a space. Their approach is rooted in Embodied Experience Design, translating sophisticated technical lighting knowledge into purposeful, sustainable, and aesthetically rich environments across corporate, hospitality, and civic projects. The studio is defined by its deep technical expertise and its commitment to pushing conventional boundaries to deliver functional beauty

About STUDIOS

STUDIOS Architecture is an international design practice renowned for its collaborative and client-centric approach to shaping innovative workplaces and urban environments. Rather than adhering to a signature style, STUDIOS embraces a belief in design as a strategic tool, crafting spaces that genuinely reflect and advance the culture, operations, and business goals of their clients.Â