Programmed and designed for flexibility from 10am to 2am, Spot Lite is a multi-use commercial space morphs each day between a community cafe, a local record shop, a remote office, a music venue, an art gallery, a dance party, and an event space. The 7,900-square-foot site, formerly Beyster Lumber, was reconfigured to accommodate this hybrid venue, enhancing flow and creating an open framework for collaboration with local artisans and fabricators.
Fitting within Disbrow Iannuzzi’s framework, the owners commissioned the fabrication of key interior elements including the bar, sculptural bathroom mirrors, DJ booth, and record shop shelves. The project also features two massive skylights that flood the space with natural light and an activated alley with a variety of outdoor seating and site-specific artwork by local artists.
The experience of the space is amplified by the diversity of voices that contributed to its creation, much like the multi-disciplinary and industry activities happening throughout the day. In a creative solution to an occupancy restriction, three monumental overhead doors act as an organizing threshold between the bar space and the gallery space and will close automatically in the event of a fire. As a welcoming, open-minded, and safe space, one of the major challenges was securing approval for gender-neutral bathroom layouts.
