From the opening moments of the first episode of the Apple TV+ thriller, “Severance,” the headquarters of Lumon Industries establishes a massive, frightening presence, symbolizing the Orwellian horror of modern corporate culture. The location where the show’s producers captured those dystopian images is right here in New Jersey. The real-life Lumon building is Bell Works in Holmdel, which has become a big draw for viewers who can’t get enough of the show.
While most of the series is shot on sets and soundstages, critical exterior shots and several interior scenes feature the iconic Bell Works building. According to Realtor.com, fans are flocking to Holmdel to step inside and experience the architectural marvel firsthand. The building’s newfound popularity has gone viral on social media, with fans posting their visits on Instagram and TikTok.
“Severance’s” creator, Dan Erickson, Executive Producer Ben Stiller, and Production Designer Jeremy Hindle chose Bell Works for its cold, imposing facade, remarkable symmetry, and cavernous atrium. For the producers, the building perfectly symbolizes the show’s central theme of workers trapped in a world of absolute corporate control and frightening isolation.
“I always felt a sense of power in these [corporate] spaces. They’re there to dominate you and make sure that you know the rules,” Hindle told Curbed.
The gleaming structure of glass and steel was completed in 1962 as Bell Labs, the iconic research facility of AT&T. The building was one of the final projects of visionary architect Eero Saarinen, who also designed the Gateway Arch in St. Louis,
For decades, Bell Labs was a center of remarkable scientific breakthroughs, including the invention of the cell phone and the laser, plus the discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation. Bell Labs’ researchers won nine Nobel Prizes over the years.
However, this once-bustling hub of technological breakthroughs hit hard times in the 1980s when the Bell System was broken up. Once, as many as 6,000 people worked there. By 2007, it was empty and abandoned.
Fortunately, that isn’t the end of the story. Instead of proceeding with a planned demolition, developers began to reimagine and modernize the 473-acre, 2,000,000-square-foot corporate complex into a mixed-use space under the guidance of architect Alexander Gorlin. Rechristened Bell Works in 2013, today the building houses offices, restaurants, retail, event spaces, and entertainment.
Whether you’re a fan of “Severance” or just want to explore a mid-century architectural marvel, Bell Works is open to the public 6 am – midnight, 7 days a week, and even offers a guide to where scenes were filmed. For superfans, People Magazine featured a list of all the show’s locations in the NYC metropolitan area.
