Apparatus is a New York-based interdisciplinary design studio with spaces in Manhattan, Los Angeles and London. Overseen by lighting designer Gabriel Hendifar, the locations evoke different moods, yet each is grounded in a sense of escapism.
“Lighting is magic,” says Gabriel Hendifar, lighting designer, artistic director and co-founder at Apparatus. “I first started playing with light as a need, in a moment where my life presented a beautiful new relationship and an opportunity to reimagine what it felt like to live together. There was a creative energy and desire to make things that we lived with, and light was a natural exploration in that moment.”
Apparatus has grown into a thriving interdisciplinary studio exploring the relationship between lighting, furniture, objects and spaces. Today, the studio structures its collections as acts. “They all have both historical and design references and create envelopes for us to tell specific stories,” explains Hendifar. The collections favour humble and natural materials such as stone, leather, glass and brass – “things that feel almost elemental.”
For the designer, the New York studio and gallery holds a special place. “I was born and raised in Los Angeles and I always imagined that my life would begin when I moved to New York City,” says Hendifar. “It’s a place where many people come because they have something to prove, and when you arrive with that drive and desire, there is a way that the city sees that and reflects it back to you,” he says. “If you allow yourself to tap into that, it’s difficult not to feel inspired by that energy.”
The New York space is located on 30th Street in Manhattan. Entered via a bank door and elongated entry hall, Gallery One is a space reimaged as a red room in anticipation of the launch of the Cylinder System. Gallery Two has a slightly more intimate feel, and Gallery Three houses the majority of the collection that’s in continuous production, which is bordered by the executive offices and the lounge. “I almost think of it as a soundstage,” says the designer. “There’s something about the fact we’re so close to this reality outside of our doors that’s so different to the reality we have created here. That gives me the continuous desire to create this fantasy that’s insulated from the outside world.”
The Los Angeles space takes a slightly different approach, with an entry foyer and two adjoining sales galleries completely clad in stone, emulating an early ‘70s grotto feel. From there, one moves into Gallery One, which is entirely silver plastered, before moving into the warm enveloping hug of the cork in Gallery Two.
“What I’m most proud of is having listened to where this journey has wanted to take me and finding a way to get to the centre of something that has meaning to me and inspires the people around me to come along for the ride,” reflects the designer.
00:00 – Introduction to the Mind of An Iconic Lighting Designer
01:18 – Gabriel’s History and Design Process
03:08 – The Manhattan Galleries
04:37 – The Los Angeles Galleries
05:26 – Product Curation
05:51 – Materials
06:36 – Favourite Aspects
07:18 – Proud Moments
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Photography by Matthew Placek.
Lighting design by Apparatus.
Filmed and edited by O&Co. Homes.
Production by The Local Production.
Location: Manhattan, New York, United States
The Local Project acknowledges the traditional territories and homelands of the Indigenous peoples in the United States. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
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