Where was Severance filmed? See the real Bell Works Lumon building
Movie fans love experiencing their favourite movie by taking pictures with the characters or with merchandise from the film. Fans of the television series Severance often visit the building that serves as the centrepiece of the story. Where was Severance filmed?
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Severance has become one of the most-watched television series on Apple+ since it started airing in 2022.
- One of the most captivating aspects of the show is the building where Lumon is located. The company serves as the foundation of the unfolding storyline.
- Most scenes were filmed on soundstages, but some areas of Bell Works, including the atrium, stairways, and parking lot, were featured.
Severance's physical setting was based on Bell Works
The television show was mostly shot on soundstages but was partly inspired by the Bell Works building. Located in Holmdel, New Jersey, the building has a rich technological history. It was known as the Bell Labs of telecommunication giant AT&T.
Several groundbreaking technologies were developed there, and scientists who worked within its walls won at least nine Nobel Prizes. The first phone call in history was received in an office inside Bell Labs.
Developer Ralph Zucker spoke about how the building's history inspired him to purchase the property. According to the Daily Mail, he said:
The building's history made it clear that it was never meant to be just another sterile corporate headquarters. It had played a critical role in shaping our society, and I felt its next chapter needed to echo that same spirit, but in a new way.
Source: Facebook
Bell Labs’ design was both its strength and downfall
Initially known as the home of technological research and development, Bell Labs was designed by the famous architect Eero Saarinen. He also designed the iconic TWA Flight Centre at JFK Airport and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
Saarinen designed the building to facilitate spontaneous conversation among scientists. As shared on the New York Times, a curator, Donald Albrecht, explains that Saarinen imagined that:
From those conversations, new ideas would come, so it was a very modern idea.
Bell Labs’ structural design discouraged some employees
This design eventually caused some employees to dislike the building. Barry Kort recalled that some employees felt like they were in prison. He claimed to be unbothered since he had never been in prison to know what one looked like.
Kort said he practically lived in the building because it enabled him to work late into the night. To him, it was a science hub, and he could fix anything while he was in it.
Source: Instagram
Bell Labs became a wasteland in the 2000s
Once renowned for its vibrant intellectual energy, Bell Labs began to decline around 1987. Several antitrust cases against the federal government broke AT&T’s structure. The building changed ownership but never returned to its glory days.
Bell Labs was slated for demolition, but scientists globally protested against it. As the New York Times published, they said:
The Holmdel facility is the birthplace of the cellphone. It was home to the work of several Nobel laureates and was the birthplace of the most important communications technologies in history!
Several proposals were submitted to preserve the building, and many companies tried to save it. Most efforts failed because no one knew what to do with a building three times the size of a soccer field.
Developer Ralph Zucker saved Bell Labs from demolition
The Bell Labs building got a fortunate break in 2013 when Ralph Zucker purchased it for $27 million through his company, Somerset Development. According to CNBC, he decided to convert the building into a campus for workers.
It symbolised the continuation of innovation, connection, and community. Zucker reimagined and redesigned the building’s interior. It was transformed into a facility with various works of life instead of a single one.
Source: UGC
Bell Labs is now known as Bell Works
In a post on New Jersey Business Magazine, developer Ralph Zucker said:
Bell Works is a vision turned reality, and as a testament to its success, the metroburb welcomes as many as 6,000 people through its doors every single day.
Also known as the Metroburb, the building hosts a wide range of businesses. Some of these are tech-focused companies such as Cisco and Nvidia. Others provide entertainment, dining, wellness, and affordable spa services.
Law firms, wealth managers, cafés, fitness studios, and boutique shops occupy various floors of the building. The complex also includes childcare centres, podcast studios, a salon, escape rooms, and even a tranquil Zen Lake.
After business hours, Bell Works attracts visitors. The rooftop opens into a lush landscape of trees and rolling lawns. There are bars, event spaces, and scenic reception areas.
Insight into other Severance filming locations
The Lumon building in Severance was primarily modelled after Bell Works. According to Bell Works, other filming locations include Village Gate, Wurts Street Bridge, Port Ewen Suspension Bridge, and Phoenicia Diner.
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
- Is the office building in Severance real? It is a real place, although the series’ plot is not the reality of Bell Works.
- Where is Salt Neck in Severance filmed? The location was Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.
- Where is Pip's Diner in the movie Severance? The Phoenicia Diner, located in New York, was transformed into Pip’s Diner in Severance, where dark conversations took place.
- Where is Lumon's headquarters located in Severance? It is located at 345 E.Main Street, Kier, PE.
Conclusion
Severance was filmed at the Bell Works building in New Jersey. The building is now popular among fans who find reasons to go there.
READ MORE: Is Severance based on a book? The truth behind the Apple TV+ series
As Briefly.co.za published, Severance is an American sci-fi psychological thriller series created by Dan Erickson and executive-produced by Ben Stiller.
Severance received 14 nominations at the 74th Primetime Emmy and Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Source: Briefly News
