Lighting up the Cypress Boardwalk

Located at a busy intersection in densely populated Cypress, California, a former Office Max location was transformed into hub of indoor and outdoor dining. Pasadena-based architect firm McKently Malak was tasked to tackle the redevelopment project focused on attracting restaurants and food offerings to the space. 

In order to achieve that goal, the firm set about creating an outdoor environment that would entice and encourage diners to visit and linger.

“The aim was to create an organic, comfortable, pedestrian friendly space,” says Michael Hidalgo, who led the project for McKently Malak. “It had to be somewhere people could relax and enjoy their meal”.

Outside of the 13,700-square-foot building, the McKently Malak team created a contemporary space with an urban park feel. They combined composite wood, metal and stone materials to achieve that modern look. The clean and welcoming space is lined with greenery, and enhanced and illuminated by light columns.

The lighting was an important component to bringing the whole ambiance together. “The lighting choice was based on two criteria,” Hidalgo says. “The aesthetic had to work; the lighting columns needed to look elegant and clean. And we needed the functionality; the seated area had to be well illuminated with a color temperature that was kind to the users and the surroundings.”

The team at McKently Malak opted for lighting columns from Luminis, The LumiSTIK product suited to lighting applications where space enhancement is the goal. Featuring a clean extruded aluminum base and high impact acrylic diffuser, it provided an architectural aesthetic that complemented the surrounding.

Twenty-one lighting columns were used in the project. Measuring 12 feet tall, the slim columns are an ideal fit for the contemporary feel the architect was going for. This clean design ensures the lighting fixtures look as good in the daytime as they do after sunset.

More than just enhancing the space, the lighting had to be functional. The area is busy with diners, and the obvious hazards of tables and chairs are at every turn, so it was important that the lighting was able to adequately illuminate the area in the evenings.

In the end, the area continues to be well lit, with the temperature of the lighting providing a soft, warm and welcoming feel for the evening diners. Says Hidalgo, “The client has been very positive about the results.”