Week #10: Andrew and the String of Lights

 The University Town Center is across the street from the campus.  Seeing that I lack superior resources (a car), I had to review a place closer to home.  In any case, multiple businesses populate UTC from restaurants to an army office.  However, the entirety of the center is linked by a string of lights at the top of the buildings.

 Between some of the buildings light bulbs hang further perpetuating the string of lights theme.  In these spaces they play gentle jazz music that reminds me of Disneyland's main street.  I feel like the designer was trying to create a Disney-like space: fun, bright, and a reminiscent of the "old days."  I think that they were moderately successful.  I feel like the combination of the music with the cuteness of the round strung light bulbs is effective at making a bright and fun space.  However, I feel like the building styles and the paint color contradict with the lighting.  They give off more of a "puebla" style vibe.  Also, I feel like the different companies need for their own advertising and theme throw off the entire design.

After walking through the center, I found what I considered the "fountain of inspiration" for the string of lights motif.

 The movie theater had a hidden string of lights underneath its roof.  I believe that the theater was designed first and the rest of UTC's design followed.  

 Fed Ex Office's design was the least effective. Though it is functional to its purpose of office work outside of the office, the purely florescent lighting is imposing, drab, boring, unflattering, and jarring.  Just walking by, I wanted to avoid it and felt shocked at how dull something so bright could be.  I think that by reducing the amount of lights as well as placing incandescent lighting over the merchandise (cards, ads, etc.) to give a more inviting and warm look to the places where customers spend money, Fed Ex Office can be both functional and inviting.

Brita's Cafe has the most effective lighting.  The picture is dark because Brita's utilizes "mood" lighting.  There are few incandescent lights inside that light just enough.  The warmth of the lights give Brits'a a homey feel, further supported by lighting the kitchen  The customers see their food being made by chefs in white hats as well as colorful pottery.  Brita's is extremely successful at separating itself from UTC.  When you walk in, the space seems larger and you feel like you're in a romantic film as opposed to just across from a college campus let alone 100 feet from a Trader Joe's.  The Christmas decorations fit right in at Brita's.  They add to the personal and family feel as if you were invited to a dinner at your favorite aunt's house.

All in all, I find the lighting in UTC as a whole contradictory and weakly united by the string of lights.  I do give the designer credit however as they had to work with vastly different business that had to have their own lighting designs.  Fed Ex Office's lighting is overdone, though functional while Brita's adds to the overall experience of their customers by creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that separates itself from UTC.