Arc Magazine Feature: Hotel Herringbone (March 2025)

Written by Arc Magazine

Hotel Herringbone in Waco, Texas, transforms 50 shipping containers and an old warehouse into a vibrant Art Deco-inspired boutique hotel, blending industrial architecture with luxurious interiors, sustainable lighting, and a dynamic entertainment plaza. Lighting for this unique destination was designed by Sol Light Studio.

In the heart of Waco, Texas, USA, a site of 50 abandoned shipping containers and an old city warehouse has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel. This eco-friendly-project, born through a collaboration between San-Diego based RAD LAB, FreerForm development, Lucky Find Hospitality, and local chef Corey McEntyre, reimagines this industrial design into a luxurious hotel through an Art Deco lens.

Offering stylish accommodations and a vibrant 30,000sqft entertainment space where visitors can enjoy food, beverages, retail outlets, music and other entertainment, it is more than just a hotel. Hotel Herringbone offers a vibrant community space spanning the size of a full city block for its residents in Waco. Featuring a ,sft public plaza with curated retail spaces, a shaded children’s play area, and a relaxing dining space for parents and adults alike – all encircled within the shipping container architecture.

While the use of shipping containers naturally lends an industrial aesthetic, the team envisioned a completely contrasting design, drawing inspiration from the elegance and vibrancy of the s. This vision transformed into a sophisticated yet lively Art Deco-inspired atmosphere. The result is a fusion of striking steel structures, warm brick walls, bold animal prints, lush greenery, and design elements that seamlessly blend the Roaring Twenties with Vegas-like glamour.

To bridge the exterior’s look with the s theme, a warm and inviting lighting scheme that would soften the cold industrial architecture of the containers was needed. This led to the appointment of Neha Sivaprasad, Principal at Sol Light Studio, by RAD LAB.

Having previously worked on other shipping container retail projects, Sivaprasad and her team were brought on board to contribute their expertise to the development. Sol Light Studio tailored the lighting to accommodate a diverse range of visitors, including retail shoppers, hotel guests, restaurant patrons, and live performance attendees. Thoughtful lighting integration ensured that the space would come alive after dark, offering both vibrancy and comfort to locals, guests or club members.

For the exterior, integrated lighting was seamlessly incorporated into the structure to highlight key architectural features using low-level lighting to define pathways, while strategically placed foliage lighting was added to introduce a softness. To keep true to the s theme, vintage-inspired globular sconces were installed throughout the lower-level retail spaces at the open plaza, serving as a recurring motif that added elegance and cohesion.

Linear grazer up-lights were added to the expansive brick wall at the end of the plaza lending a warm and textured visual background in contrast to the cold container architecture. Meanwhile deck lights were discreetly integrated into the stair railings, pathway railings and terrace railings to ensure wayfinding illumination is maintained and connects the various areas such as open terraces, guest room corridors and clusters of containers. The deck lights provide both light levels for safe egress but also cast a warm glow onto the oor, reducing the visual scale and creating a comforting nighttime aesthetic.

Inside, the lighting concept continues to balance functionality and the style concept. The brief requested decorative and expressive lighting fixtures that would contrast with the industrial exterior; thus the project employed a layered lighting approach with the help of the interior designer, Taylor Leage, who chose all decorative lighting fixtures. Light crafts distinct atmospheres for each part of the hotel, lending each area its own character, particularly in the restaurant, the guestrooms and the rooftop lounge.

The former warehouse, now transformed into the hotel restaurant, showcases an eclectic mix of decorative fixtures, such as striking salvaged crystal chandeliers, evoking the feeling of a curated collection of objects. The lighting scheme aims to complement the rugged charm of the building, highlighting the exposed red brick walls and original ceiling. A layer of architectural lighting was added to enhance the bar with colour-changing lights within the glass block column and glass canopy. This creates a captivating focal point within the restaurant that can be seen outside.

Furthermore, planter accent uplights were introduced to highlight greenery, bringing down the scale of the room and grounding it with warm, inviting uplighting. Low level step lights leading to the performance platform housing the grand piano, also helps to reduce the scale and adds warmth.

The rooftop bar, in contrast, embraces an industrial aesthetic with a minimal lighting approach. Simple glowing pendants with an industrial edge are arranged in a grid pattern, proving functional illumination while serving as a visual cue from the street below. This understated design draws attention to the rooftop bar to passersby.

One the other hand, 21 guest rooms were designed with eccentric Art Deco influences characterised by bold colours and geometric shapes, to which the lighting mirrored using carefully chosen light fixtures. The lighting designers installed a combination of recessed fixtures and ceiling mounted fixtures that strike a balance between elegant and bold yet simple – this allowed the lighting scheme to reflect the interior design without being overwhelming or garish, and allowing the unique interior aesthetic to create a character of its own.

On balancing the functionality and aesthetics of the lighting, Sivaprasad says: “Due to the intricate geometry of the interconnected and stacked containers, we built a 3D model in lighting calculation software to fully understand the spatial layout and complexities. This allowed us to identify key pathways and areas requiring lighting for egress and safety.”

She adds: “Collaborating closely with the architect, we brainstormed strategies to illuminate these areas to meet the required safety standards. Beyond functionality, we carefully identified surfaces to highlight, in order to balance the visual composition, ensuring the design was aesthetically pleasing when viewed from various angles and experienced by users. The interconnected terraces, stairs, and unique geometries presented an exciting challenge, pushing us to develop creative solutions that seamlessly combine safety, usability, and visual appeal.”

Hotel Herringbone’s defining feature is its construction from repurposed shipping containers, preserving the existing architecture by utilising the original stairways, and electrical infrastructure, in turn minimising waste and reducing environmental impact. To accompany this, the lighting design incorporates a minimal number of fixtures, which are all made from sustainable materials, such as glass and aluminium, while maximising the use of natural light to reduce reliance on electricity. The project also adheres to ASHRAE 90.1-2019 standards, employing energy-efficient features such as automatic dimming systems, manual overrides for events, and occupancy sensors that adjust lighting levels during o-hours. The public spaces are on automatic time clock, while all guestrooms are manual control with simple wall dimmers and occupancy sensors as required by code, contributing to the hotel’s overall efficiency.

However, integrating lights into rigid steel frameworks came with its own unique challenges and required meticulous planning and customisation to ensure structural integrity and aesthetic goals were met. The compact spaces and varied configurations of the containers, such as stacked and horizontally aligned units, significantly impacted mounting and placement of fixtures. For instance, deck lights were carefully integrated into existing and new railings at stairs, pathways and terraces, requiring adjustments to adhere to the various conditions.

Furthermore, unexpected changes to the construction, such as dropped ceilings to exposed ceilings required reassessment for the lights. This included replacing recessed fixtures to surface mounted fixtures and exposed electrical conduits. Despite these challenges and the need for iterative adjustments, the lighting design team worked hard to preserve the original concept, showcasing the unique architecture of the containers while maintaining functionality and appeal. On the other hand, budget constraints required significant reductions in the lighting design, which further strained the integrity of the original concept.

Sivaprasad adds: “Once construction began, unexpected surprises emerged. Addressing these issues required on-the-spot solutions that were not only feasible within the budget but also aligned with the overall concept. Overcoming these hurdles was an exciting challenge, and we successfully managed to navigate them while staying true to the project’s vision.”

Now the finished project stands as a testament to innovative and sustainable design while effortlessly blending its raw industrial architecture with a glamorous Art Deco interior. By repurposing shipping containers and incorporating energy-efficient light strategies, the project minimises environmental impact while invigorating the community spirit of Waco through its entertainment plaza. Sivaprasad has been informed that the residents of Waco are overjoyed by the arrival of Hotel Herringbone, saying that the live events bring an enthusiastic crowd, adding to the dynamic atmosphere.

She adds: “Hotel guests are especially captivated by the Art Deco rooms, each uniquely designed in layout and interior décor, making every stay a distinctive experience. The restaurant has become a delightful surprise, blending history with modern charm. The colourful art adorning the shipping containers enhances the site’s vibrancy and fosters a strong sense of community. By night, the space comes alive under thoughtfully designed lighting, creating an enchanting ambience that truly completes the transformation.”

Through a thoughtful lighting design, Sol Light Studio has successfully softened the industrial aesthetic by injecting warmth and vibrancy into each space. Although each space within the hotel has its own character, the cohesive element is the exterior architecture, characterised by repurposed shipping containers. The exterior lighting brings these elements together, casting a warm, unified glow that enhances both the structure and open spaces. Despite the structural and budget constraints, the team remained steadfast in the goal to preserving the original design vision, ensuring Hotel Herringbone is not just a place to stay but an immersive experience for all.