Zefta, Lebanon by Black Box
The 100-year-old residence Dar Zefta, originally built in 1911, just received an award-winning revamp in the form of a lighting design. After the structure was restored following fire damage, Black Box was commissioned by the current owner to create a lighting scheme that emphasised the building’s arches, textures, and surrounding landscape without overpowering its historical character.
Fixtures were selected for being small and managing a high light output, allowing them to remain discreet while delivering focused illumination. Beam angles and intensities were adjusted through multiple tests to ensure the light accurately traced the arches, revealed the carved stone ceilings, and evenly washed the rear wall without much glare.
On the remaining façade, a combination of spike-mounted projectors was used to introduce a layered lighting effect. These lights are hidden among existing vegetation, which creates shifting shadows across the walls. To decide how many fixtures should be added, the designers focused on ensuring that the facade wouldn’t take up much energy or space, as the objective was always to give a subtle spotlight and not crash the visual balance of the street.
