The Lab at ConnCORP
496 Newhall St
Hamden, CT 06517
Overview
Long Wharf Theatre commissioned an experience design for their 2024 – 2025 Winter show, She Loves Me. The experience involved lighting design, interior design, and printed matter for the lobby, hallway, and cafe in the venue. Additionally, Long Wharf Theatre commissioned installation and purchase consultation services before the opening of the show.
Visual Identity
The aesthetic language of this audience experience takes inspiration from 19th-century Hungarian interiors –– specifically the Interior of the Royal Palace of Budapest. Notable for dim lighting, warm accents, and smoky atmosphere, these intimate spaces maintain a timeless charm. Predominant colors featured in this style of antique interior design include:
- Rich amber hues
- Off whites / faded beiges
- Shining gold and deep brown accents
Examples of home furnishings of this style include:
- Gilded candle-lit chandeliers
- Detailed oriental rugs
- Draping fabrics
- Dark wooden tables and pedestals
- Gilded picture frames
- Calligraphy / stationery setsx
- Perfume bottles / vanities
The ambiance can be characterized by:
- Warm, dim lighting concentrated on tables and rugs
- Light conversation and acoustic music
- Scents of coffee and smoke in the air
Lobby
As the first room the guests enter, the lobby sets the precedent for the entire audience experience. It is essential that the space feels, looks, and smells welcoming, warm, and quaint. In the context of She Loves Me, the lobby also functions as a space for conversation, whether verbal or written. Attendees can gather in the lobby to discuss the show, reconnect with neighbors, or meet new friends. Furthermore, attendees can use the lobby to write letters –– a hallmark of the plot and message of the show.
Hallway
The hallway leads the audience directly to the theatre. Walking through this space, therefore, should provide an experience that sets the stage for the show itself. Whether for a family taking a heartfelt photograph or for a couple enjoying a warm drink, the hallway should feel like a space for intimacy. The hallway should also offer a glimpse into the history of Long Wharf Theatre on its 60th anniversary. This information should celebrate the theatre’s past in a manner that is clear and accessible to all members of the audience.
Cafe
The cafe serves as a primary space for camaraderie and conversation. With warm drinks, pleasant smells, and live music, this space plays a critical role in enhancing the audience experience. This space should be a welcoming place for all. Couples can share a drink, children can grab a delicious snack, and families can sit down at a table together. As for the lobby and hallway, the cafe should promote intimacy and reflection through a combination of aesthetics, sounds, smells, and temperatures. Lobby
The existing lobby design felt cold and sterile –– far from the intimate, warm spaces of She Loves Me or of quaint Hungarian interior design. With solid grey concrete floors, a red tiled desk, black pillars and beams, muted yellow walls, and bright overhead lighting, the existing interior design appeared more corporate than antique. Furthermore, with the air conditioner running, the lobby felt especially cold amid the autumn weather. And without a distinct smell, the space lacked the olfactory component that helps make homes feel more like a haven than a building.
Our lobby design created a more welcoming space. It became both elegant and inclusive, especially for an audience that may not be familiar with theatre. By incorporating warm lighting, rustic fabrics, gold accents, and other sensory components, our redesign elevated the aesthetics of the space while contributing to a friendlier environment. The redesign of the lobby incorporated the following visual elements: brown oriental rugs, dark wooden writing desk, round standing tables with tablecloths, gilded furnishings, tall artificial candles, and warm upward light sources.
Hallway
The existing hallway design again feels cold, literally and metaphorically. The pale walls and tiled floor recall those of a doctor’s office, while the bright overhead lights make the space feel unwelcoming. The low AC and lack of music exaggerate the cold atmosphere.
Our hallway design both created a more welcoming space and provide information about the history of Long Wharf Theatre. It should be both elegant and inclusive, especially for an audience that may not be familiar with the theatre arts. To celebrate the history of Long Wharf Theatre, sepia-toned photo albums of historical moments of Long Wharf Theatre may be placed on top of the standing tables. Guests may also take photographs together in the hallway.
By incorporating warm dim lighting, brown fabrics, and gold accents, a redesign can elevate the aesthetics of the space while contributing to a friendlier environment. Moreover, by considering the temperature and smell, we helped enhance the homeliness of the experience. Our redesign of the hallway includes the incorporation of the following visual elements: brown oriental rugs, standing tables with tablecloths, artificial tall candles, a Long Wharf Theatre 60th anniversary projection, warm upward light sources, and a Long Wharf Theatre retrospective photo album, featuring photos from the theatre’s archive since its founding in 1965.
Cafe
Though the existing cafe design felt less cold and sterile than the lobby and hallway, it can feel more inviting and intimate. The existing brick backsplash and warm lighting help warm up the space, though the concrete floors, white granite counters, and industrial beams detract from the homely aura.
Our cafe design both created a more welcoming space and augmented the existing aesthetic elements. It became more elegant and inclusive for all who request a snack or drink. Guests were welcome to sit down at the tables, listen to the live music, or stand and chat. By incorporating warm dim candles, brown fabrics, and gold accents, our redesign elevated the aesthetics of the space while contributing to a friendlier environment. Moreover, by considering the temperature and smell, Long Wharf Theatre can enhanced the homeliness of the experience. Our redesign of the cafe involved the incorporation of the following visual elements: artificial tall candles, standing and sit-down tables with tablecloths, and warm upward light sources
Wayfinding
As part of the audience experience, we designed a wayfinding template to be used throughout the venue. These signs were integral for guiding guests to important locations around the building. Our design remained relatively simplistic with a solid color background, white text set in Archivo, and arrows in either direction. We selected the brown background to complement the browns and golds present throughout the rest of the experience. Moreover, to point audience members in the right direction, we used the same style of arrows that Long Wharf Theatre uses throughout their visual identity.
Budget
With a limited budget, we decided to focus on lighting (rather than physical alterations, such as curtains) in order to significantly alter the mood of the space. While we had originally planned to purchase opaque brown curtains to hang throughout the space, we decided that a lighting solution would be more cost-effective.
We found that setting the lights to a rich amber color significantly changed the mood of the space. Especially during the nighttime, when natural lighting was at a minimum, the
History
Long Wharf Theatre, though currently a diverse and inclusive institution, has not always been as culturally and racially heterogeneous. Much of the theatre's history has been dominated by majority-White communities. On the other hand, She Loves Me, as both a theatrical performance and a public event, largely focuses on communities of color. The show's cast features mostly BIPOC, and the targeted audience of the performance was the majority-Black community in Hamden, CT around the venue.
Originally, we had thought that creating a Long Wharf Theatre Photo Album, featuring archival images from the theatre's opening in 1965 to now, would be an effective addition to the audience experience. However, while we were reviewing photos through the years, we noticed that a majority of the photo archive featured only White individuals. We recognized that displaying a photo album with mostly White individuals to a majority-BIPOC audience –– much of which had not attended a formal theatrical performance before –– may feel exclusive.
To ensure an inclusive yet honest album, we selected photos that demonstrated a gradual increase in diversity since the theatre’s founding. Long Wharf Theatre then arranged the photos in chronological order, showing how the theatre has become more inclusive over the years.
Long Wharf Theatre
Royal Palace of Budapest
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Post-Redesign
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