PROJECT | Workhorse pendants balance ambience and task illumination in hospitality venue

Earl Giles Distillery bills itself as “thoughtful, fun, and authentic.” Located in the Art District of Minneapolis’ Logan Park neighborhood, the 18,000-square-foot facility is many things: full-service bar and restaurant, distillery, canning and bottling operations, flavor laboratory, gift shop, and private event space.

The distillery owners hired integrated design firm Shea, Inc. to create its first-ever location. A historic warehouse building, the Earl Giles space was once an auction house for heavy machinery. As architects and interior designers for the project, the Shea team sought to preserve the essence of the space. This included the preservation of the original exposed beams and pillars. With extremely high ceilings, lighting was a key consideration.

The design team from Shea, Inc. selected light fixtures that would complement the high ceilings and exposed beams in the historic warehouse space that was converted into a restaurant and distillery.

“Our lighting goals were to maintain the aesthetic of our design, while having functional lighting for the multiple levels and experiences,” said Cori Kuechenmeister, director of design at Shea, Inc. “We wanted to highlight the manufacturing process and provide appropriate light levels for distilling while still being able to show off the distillery space during open public hours.”

Luminis’ Hollowcore HC1600 luminaires illuminate the working distillery, a central area enclosed with black-framed glass wall panels. The 12 high-bay pendants were selected for their sleek design and attractive hollow center; the latter feature is reminiscent of an airplane propeller, which reflects the Earl Giles logo. Aesthetics were particularly important in this space because the distillery luminaires are highly visible from most dining and bar areas.

A circular LED light engine enables an open center concept in the Hollowcore luminaire, while a high-efficiency lens helps to deliver uniform light down to the stills and workspaces, with a batwing distribution to reduce any 'cavernlike' effects. — A circular LED light engine enables an open center concept in the Hollowcore luminaire, while a high-efficiency lens helps to deliver uniform light down to the stills and workspaces, with a batwing distribution to reduce any "cavernlike" effects.

“Our design needed a good-looking but high-output workhorse, and Hollowcore fit our needs,” said Jessica Braun, senior designer at Shea, Inc. “Using a standard high-bay fixture in this space would have taken away from the design intent.”

Hollowcore is designed around a circular LED light engine, enabling the airy open center concept. Its high-efficiency lens helps to deliver uniform light down to the stills and workspaces below, with a batwing distribution for a minimal cave effect. The 19-inch-diameter, jet-black luminaire is suspended with a stem in the same color, complementing the glass panel trim.

The luminaires are equipped with a 0–10V dimming-ready driver, enabling the restaurant to control lighting levels and adapt to various work conditions and events.

“Earl Giles turned out to be a great space,” Kuechenmeister said. “Most distilleries don’t put their production space out in the open. But it’s this openness that contributes to such a unique restaurant aesthetic, and the Hollowcore luminaires are an important part of that.”

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