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Lumon, the sinister company on the coronary heart of the Apple TV+ collection “Severance,” is not actual.
However the considerably menacing constructing that Lumon operates from is — and it is simply 40 miles exterior NYC.
In actual life, it is Bell Works, the previous residence of Bell Labs and now a “metroburb.”
Be trustworthy: Have you ever ever fired up Apple TV+ to look at an episode of “Severance,” which took residence eight Emmy Awards this yr, and thought to your self that, whereas Lumon Industries may be an evil mega-corporation/cult that kills harmless goats and kidnaps folks, they certain do have wonderful style in workplace design?If you happen to’re something like me, the reply is sure. So after I discovered that Lumon’s headquarters, which is seen a number of occasions all through each seasons of Apple’s hit collection, is simply 40 miles from New York Metropolis in Holmdel, New Jersey, I knew I needed to test it out, which I did final March.The actual Lumon is definitely the Bell Works “metroburb,” the previous headquarters of telecommunications firm Bell Labs. Since Bell Labs vacated the campus in 2006, it has been redesigned as a mixed-use workplace constructing, however there’s a lot extra happening at Bell Works apart from workplaces. It is really extra of what some people have began calling a “third place.”This is what it is wish to spend a day on the real-life Lumon.
“Severance” movies throughout New York and New Jersey, however the collection’ most iconic location is the Bell Works constructing that serves as Lumon’s residence base.
Our first glimpse at Lumon’s workplace within the pilot of “Severance.”
Apple TV+
“Severance” debuted on Apple TV+ in February 2022 to instantaneous vital acclaim. On Sunday, it gained eight awards on the Primetime Emmys.If you happen to’ve in some way missed it, this is the gist: The present takes place in a universe the place a shady mega-corporation, Lumon Industries, has pioneered a course of they referred to as the severance process, which entails getting a chip planted into your mind that successfully splits your consciousness.It means that you’ve one character, an “innie,” that solely comes alive if you’re on the workplace and has no reminiscence of the surface world or who you might be. In the meantime, the opposite half of you, your “outie,” does not bear in mind something about work. All you already know is that you simply started working, clocked in, after which (seemingly) clocked proper again out on the finish of the day.It is a intelligent satire of what it is wish to be in a company setting in the present day — greater than ever, giant firms are discussing the “work-life steadiness” — along with a thought-provoking take a look at what makes an individual who they’re.
The Bell Works complicated, in-built 1962, is positioned in Holmdel, New Jersey.
Bell Works is round 40 miles exterior New York Metropolis.
Google Maps
Bell Works was accomplished in 1962 and was the house of the long-lasting telecommunications firm Bell Labs. The positioning was first residence to a analysis web site for Bell Phone Laboratories and was the place scientist Karl Guthe Jansky invented radio astronomy.The complicated was designed by Eero Saarinen, a Finnish architect who was behind iconic constructions such because the TWA Resort at JFK Worldwide Airport in New York Metropolis, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the passenger terminal at Dulles Worldwide Airport in Washington, DC.At its peak, over 6,000 engineers labored on the 2 million-square-foot constructing, however when Bell Labs was acquired by telecommunications gear firm Lucent (after which Alcatel-Lucent), there was much less want for such a big complicated, and it was put up on the market in 2006.It sat dormant for seven years till the property was bought by Impressed by Somerset Improvement for $27 million in 2013. Since then, it is change into a mixed-use facility that has been dubbed a “metroburb” by its landlord, Ralph Zucker.
Along with being a functioning workplace campus, it is basically a bustling suburb in a single constructing.
There are a number of locations to get meals or espresso.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
In response to Enterprise Insider’s Alex Nicoll, the workplace and retail area inside Bell Works was 95% leased in 2023, up from the pre-pandemic determine of 75%. In 2024, that rose to 99%, per New Jersey Enterprise Journal.What is the attraction? For one factor: the comfort. Think about going to the workplace and having the ability to drop off your child at pre-school and your canine on the groomer, squeeze in a fast recreation of basketball, get a tasty lunch, take a look at a library ebook, and take a pilates class multi functional place.
It is also a well-liked filming location — apart from “Severance,” different reveals like “The Crowded Room” and “Regulation and Order” have shot there.
Bell Works as seen in “The Crowded Room.”
Apple TV+
In “The Crowded Room,” one other Apple TV+ collection, Bell Works doubled as a bustling airport.
After the devastation of the season two finale of “Severance” — and the anxiousness of one other three-year wait between seasons — I made a decision to go to.
Mark has to test in day by day on the entrance desk of Lumon.
Apple TV+
Season one led to April 2022 on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, after which the present did not return till January 2025.Season two wrapped in March, with an equally tantalizing cliffhanger. Hopefully, we cannot have to attend till 2028 to see the way it’s resolved — fortunately, at the least, the present has formally been renewed.So, just some days after season two wrapped, I visited the campus.
On an appropriately gloomy day, I headed to Holmdel — or ought to I say Kier?
It is by no means sunny in Kier, both.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
“Severance” takes place in a fictional place named Kier, PE.It appears to be caught in a perpetual winter, so it would not have been proper for me to go to on a sunny day.
Bell Works is plopped in the midst of a well-to-do NJ suburb. In response to the 2023 census, the median earnings was $172,566.
Bell Works.
Google Maps
The census additionally estimated that the inhabitants of Holmdel in 2023 was 17,402.
As I exited the freeway for the campus, indicators marketed issues to do at Bell Works.
There have been many of those on the highway resulting in the constructing.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
The indicators marketed occasions, courses, and facilities at Bell Works.
Then, hastily, I turned a nook and the constructing loomed forward of me.
Bell Works within the distance.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Bell Works is encircled by two ring roads, every going a technique. If you’ll find an aerial view of the grounds, you would possibly catch on to the retro-futuristic vibe.
A parking zone won’t appear that attention-grabbing till you bear in mind it is the one Mrs. Cobel (Patricia Arquette) was whipping her little automotive round.
The parking zone was surprisingly full for a gross wet day.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
The picture of her swerving across the parking zone in each seasons is one thing I will not quickly overlook.
After parking, I acquired a more in-depth take a look at one of many entrances of the constructing.
The East Entrance of Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
The constructing was nicknamed the “The Largest Mirror Ever” by the now-defunct journal Architectural Discussion board, and it is easy to see why. Your entire six-story facade is roofed in reflective glass panels.
“Severance” lovers will certainly acknowledge this entryway.
This staircase is seen many occasions.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
We have seen Mark, Helly, Cobel, Mr. Milchick, and extra stroll up and down these stairs … or have menacing conversations at them.
Bell Works is open to the general public, however after all, there are some floor guidelines.
The principles at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Bell Works is open seven days per week from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., and the primary flooring is totally open to the general public.Nevertheless, anybody beneath the age of 13 should be with a guardian after 6 p.m., and anybody beneath 18 should be with a guardian after 9 p.m.I used to be shocked that the constructing is pet-friendly, and I noticed loads of folks strolling their canine contained in the constructing.
Once I walked in, the very first thing I noticed was an enormous concrete pillar and a big swath of synthetic turf.
The turf was busy.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Perhaps I have been serious about “The Brutalist” an excessive amount of, however I used to be undoubtedly getting some László Tóth vibes from all of the concrete.The turf had flooring cushions and seating for folks to take a break and picture themselves mendacity on the grass on a sunny day. Once I acquired there, it additionally appeared just like the pre-school was utilizing the turf for playtime, because it was too wet to go exterior.
Your entire perimeter of the atrium-like inside is lined with storefronts.
Having a comfort retailer in my workplace constructing could be clutch.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
I went into this comfort retailer on the finish of the day to purchase snacks for my lengthy drive residence.
There’s additionally a dentist, a number of health studios, outfitters, a preschool, and extra.
The ready room on the dental workplace.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
There’s even an escape room, a financial institution, an pressing care, VR golf, a drama studio, a podcast studio … I may go on.
There’s even a department of the Monmouth County Library — I used to be beginning to see the place the time period “metroburb” got here from.
Contained in the library.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
I’d like to have a library inside my workplace constructing.
Whereas the bottom flooring is public, the higher flooring are rentable workplace area.
The atrium gave me view of all of the workplaces.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
The workplace area is sort of totally rented out. Amongst its tenants are know-how companies like Nvidia and Cisco.I noticed a recruiting company, a legislation agency, and a wealth administration group from my ground-floor vantage level.
There are inside elevators you want an ID badge to entry — as a “Severance” fan, I wasn’t eager to hop in any elevators anyway.
An elevator financial institution at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
I swore I may hear the trademark “ding” someplace within the distance.
One finish of the constructing virtually seemed like a forest with all of the timber.
The “forest” space of Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Hey, if you are going to sit inside an workplace all day, you would possibly as properly usher in some greenery.
This was additionally the place I noticed my first seating space, with these distinctive chairs and tables.
A seating space.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Once I first arrived, these had been empty, however on my manner out, I seen that every one these chairs had been full.
Earlier than sitting all the way down to seize meals and do some work, I took a lap round the remainder of the constructing.
The outside glass elevators and a fountain.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
This facet of the atrium had a working fountain that was crammed with cash folks had tossed in.There have been additionally exterior elevators right here, however like the opposite ones, you wanted a badge to get on.
Earlier than lengthy, I noticed the world that serves as Lumon’s reception space.
A reception space of Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Mark and our different severed pals stroll as much as this desk day by day to clock in for work.
Like the remainder of the constructing, this space had a really ’60s really feel — it was virtually like a dialog pit.
The “dialog pit.”
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
A part of Bell Works’ design — and Lumon’s — is that it is in some way each futuristic and fairly retro. This dialog pit was the primary time I actually felt like I used to be stepping again in time.
Close by was a piano for anybody to play — all through my go to, I heard a few folks tickling the ivories.
The piano was public.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Somebody even performed “loml” by Taylor Swift.
On the opposite facet of Bell Works was a basketball courtroom.
The basketball courtroom.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
The basketball courtroom is open to the general public, however it’s a must to present your ID on the entrance desk to order it.
There have been additionally ping-pong tables and shuffleboard close by.
Ping pong and shuffleboard are basic workplace video games.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
I did be aware that the comfort retailer offered ping-pong balls.
Downstairs, there is a theater, ballroom, convention rooms, and different occasion areas.
It was closed for a personal occasion.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Once more, the severed flooring is within the basement — no matter goes on down there’s not my enterprise.In all seriousness, the Bell Theater has 285 seats and has many concert events and performs lined up for the remainder of the yr.
In any case that strolling, it was lastly time to take a seat down, drink a matcha latte, and browse concerning the madness of the “Severance” finale.
I wanted to learn many explainers about what was happening within the “Severance” finale.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Personally, I’ve issues working in a very silent setting — in school, I may by no means examine within the library, which I discovered too quiet.As a substitute, I used to be best at my college’s scholar middle, which was a bustling mixed-use constructing — identical to Bell Works.Whereas sitting at this desk, I used to be capable of lock in additional simply than I do at residence, and even on the workplace, which is often on the quieter facet.
One part of Bell Works is actually a meals courtroom.
A part of Bell Market.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
There have been loads of choices, together with a greens and grains spot, a restaurant, Italian meals, ramen, and extra.There was additionally loads of seating for folks to have lunch collectively (or alone), take espresso conferences, and extra.
There’s additionally a completely functioning bar.
The bar at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Since I used to be there on a Monday morning, the bar wasn’t open. However there have been indicators throughout cautioning folks to not deliver alcohol out into the principle atrium, which leads me to consider it may well get fairly poppin’ at this bar.
After performing some work and observing the opposite folks round me, I concluded that I’d get pleasure from working at a “metroburb.”
It started to get extra crowded because the day went on.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
I noticed loads of small teams of individuals working, consuming, and speaking collectively. I additionally noticed mother and father assembly up to hang around after choosing up their youngsters from faculty, and youngsters using the ping-pong tables.If I lived within the Holmdel space, I’d undoubtedly make time to go to Bell Works for a change of tempo.
However the inside workplace area is simply a part of Bell Works’ attraction — there’s additionally the grounds.
There are just a few ponds within the space.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
It was wet, so I solely noticed one different particular person on the market. Though the climate was poor, I needed to take a brief stroll round.
There’s a complete pond with gravel paths to stroll round. I think about it is pretty in the summertime.
The pond with the constructing within the background.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
There have been benches alongside the trail.
Like every part else at Bell Works, the grounds had been immaculately stored.
Though the leaves had been gone, it was fairly.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
I loved the landscaping.
There was, nonetheless, one barely rundown construction that, for the primary time, gave me the eerie feeling I get when watching “Severance.”
This construction gave me the creeps.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
There have been no indicators wherever that defined what this was, nevertheless it was rundown in a manner that made me assume it is an unique constructing that is been there because the ’60s. It seemed prefer it’d been left to the weather.
With that, it was time to go. The rain was getting heavier, and rush-hour site visitors was beginning to pile up.
My roadtrip buddy (my mother) and I needed to get a selfie earlier than we left, although.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
It took about 2 1/2 hours to get from Holmdel to my hometown on Lengthy Island, round 60 miles away.
On the way in which out, we handed the water tower that additionally performs a component in season two of “Severance.”
The water tower has a novel design.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Actual followers will do not forget that throughout the stop-motion video Lumon produced to indicate the “innies” on their first day again, the water tower was voiced by “SNL” star Sarah Sherman. The Lumon constructing, after all, was voiced by Keanu Reeves.
As I took one final take a look at Bell Works, I used to be struck by the irony of how Bell Works doubles as Lumon — the “metroburb” thought is the alternative of the idea of severance.
A final take a look at Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
The concept of getting every part you possibly can want in a single place, as a way to mesh your work and residential lives collectively, is the precise reverse of what “Severance” is exploring — specifically, should you could be happier having your work and residential lives be utterly, properly, severed from one another.
It may be barely dystopian, however I would not thoughts working at a spot like Bell Works. It is a one-stop store for something you possibly can want, together with socializing.
Bell Works.
Gabbi Shaw/Enterprise Insider
Sure, solely needing to go to 1 location to get every part you possibly can want in your life sounds barely scary.However then again, Bell Works jogged my memory of the idea of the “third place” that is been slowly dwindling because the pandemic.A 3rd place is what it seems like: a spot that is not residence or work/faculty to get social interplay.Loneliness is on the rise on this nation, and one of many methods to fight that is to have a number of “third locations” in your life to satisfy folks — assume Central Perk in “Associates,” the diner in “Seinfeld,” the Peach Pit in “90210.” Probably the most prevalent third locations, as BI has identified, is the library.Bell Works has mixed the office with a number of third areas, such because the library, gymnasium, cafés, and the theater.If a “metroburb” is a approach to get extra folks out of their properties and into the world, I am all for it — and I will not be advocating for the severance process anytime quickly.
