A Look at Our New Office
Over the past 16 years, all of us here at Urban Electric have been creating a business based on quality craftsmanship and American manufacturing while, at the same time, dispelling a lot of preconceived notions about the relevance of that work—artisanal and handmade craft—in the modern world. In the process, we’ve exported those ideals in the form of our lights, which originate in our factory located on an Old Navy Base in North Charleston, South Carolina, and find homes in destinations around the globe: Paris, London, Dubai, Melbourne, Uruguay and beyond.
Yet even as we continue to grow, we remain rooted and firm in who we are and the place we call home, something represented in the newest addition to the Urban Electric campus, Building 45. This new space is a continuation of the same commitment to quality that inspired us to launch our company in the first place. More than a building, it’s an environment defined by a team of talented, driven and passionate people who come through its doors everyday to create custom designs that bring our clients’ visions to life.
So, without further ado, welcome to Building 45.
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The circa 1939 building, a 40,000 square foot space directly across the street from the rest of our campus, was formerly an old Naval depot.
A pair of vintage mid-century steel framed lounge chairs form a sitting area backed by a trio of custom designed vitrines that encase some of our most prized pendants and jewel-box-like flushmounts.
Our in-house showroom is the only one of its kind in the country and a unique opportunity to see our finished pieces while experiencing the process first-hand of how they are made.
Nearly floor-to-ceiling windows add warmth and ambience to the light-filled space.
There are 101 fixtures in total on display in an artful mix of customized colors and finishes.
Our company motto, “Always Proud. Never Satisfied.” in a glow of neon marks the entrance to the cafe.
The barista-staffed cafe with a mix of high and low topped tables and an elongated custom curry-colored Lawson-Fenning banquette-style sofa is an elevated space for both our craftsman and front office teams to come together to relax over a cup of coffee and enjoy new and classic records playing from the turntable.
A pair of vintage Art Deco blue velvet chairs and a wooden drawered-credenza in the second floor mezzanine are topped by prints celebrating the array of architectural styles present in our multi-building campus.
A cluster of pendants hung at alternating heights make a bold statement both day and night in a street-facing meeting room that also features the cover of the latest addition of THE CURRENT, our annual artbook-meets-magazine.
Separating showroom from factory floor, our main conference room houses three showstopping Kensington pendants with their floating glass orbs suspended within curved brass armatures. A room-length sunshine yellow USM credenza sits beneath a specially commissioned abstract painted canvas from North Carolina based artist, Brian Coleman. A dozen black leather Tubular Brno chairs by Knoll and an oversized agate bowl, a gift from designer Joe Lucas, complete the collaborative space.
The factory floor as seen from a mezzanine level conference room where a team of craftsman tirelessly work to produce a continuous flow of new product by hand with a renewed focus on streamlining efforts and delivering efficiencies for our clients.
