“Fearless” is the best description of the style espoused by Tamen Arq, a Mexican architecture and design studio founded in 2008 by Alejandra Vidal Salcido. Over the years, her team of professionals has grappled with increasingly complex architectural and interior design projects involving the lighting and furnishings of both residential and commercial settings. A case in point is Light, a pre-existing venue that has been entirely revamped by the Mexican firm. The façade, marked by the juxtaposition of geometric volumes and surmounted by the neon inscription “Light”, offers a play of perspectives, while providing no indication of the venue’s breath-taking interiors.
The sober exterior and the spectacular interior are bridged by a sort of filter zone that acts as a passageway. Here, a sequence of harmoniously shaped panels creates a sense of movement and three-dimensionality, also through the use of mirrors and lighting studied to provide depth.
In the main hall, the barrel vaulted ceiling is covered by a grid of hexagons with built-in lighting that changes in sync with the music; a sort of backlit beehive that envelops the nightclub’s circular tables and leather sofas.
The adjacent bar area stars a cylindrical pendant lamp in a warm golden hue, measuring an outstanding 3m in diameter. Harmonious prints on the walls and mosaic-clad columns contribute to create an overall psychedelic effect.
The bathrooms feature spectacular spot lighting on dark walls, designed to simulate a starry sky. The row of sinks is reflected endlessly in the mirror on the shorter wall, while the longer wall features a sequence of round mirrors with illuminated frames.
