A Building as Unforgettable as the Show

From its sleek glass façade to its vast, futuristic atrium, Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ, was the ideal setting for Lumon Industries, the fictional corporation at the heart of Severance. The Apple TV+ series, which stars Adam Scott, John Turturro, Patricia Arquette, Britt Lower, and Zach Cherry, presents a chilling world where employees undergo the severance procedure, separating their work and personal lives.

But why did the Severance team choose Bell Works New Jersey over any other location? The answer lies in the building’s history, its design by legendary architect Eero Saarinen, and its powerful symbolism as a former research hub for Bell Labs—one of history’s most influential scientific institutions.

According to production designer Jeremy Hindle, Bell Works perfectly reflected the dystopian vibe the show needed. “I always felt a sense of power in these [corporate] spaces,” Hindle told Curbed. “They’re there to dominate you and make sure that you know the rules.” Saarinen’s masterpiece, once an icon of corporate innovation, became the ideal backdrop for a fictional corporation that exerts near-total control over its employees.

The Vision of Eero Saarinen: Bell Works as a Corporate Monument

Originally built as the Bell Labs Building, Bell Works was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1962 as a monument to corporate and scientific progress. Bell Labs was home to some of the greatest technological breakthroughs—including the Big Bang Theory’s confirmation, laser technology, and the cell phone—in the words of biographer Jon Gertner, an “idea factory.”

The six-story-tall glass atrium, the symmetrical office layouts, and the long, wide hallways were meant to encourage serendipitous encounters among researchers and engineers. Saarinen himself described the design as fostering creativity:

“The individual, emerging from concentration in laboratory or office, will come upon magnificent, uninterrupted views of the surrounding countryside and the winter-garden interior courts as he walks, in moments of relaxation, down these periphery main corridors.”

However, the very features that made Bell Labs innovative in the 1960s—the vast scale, the isolation, and the dominance of glass and steel—also made it the perfect Severance filming location. Its design department may have been built for innovation, but its imposing symmetry, long hallways, and massive lobby created an environment that feels both awe-inspiring and dehumanizing—exactly what Lumon Industries needed.

Why Severance Bell Works Was a Perfect Match

1. The Open Yet Oppressive Design

At first glance, Bell Works is open, bright, and modern—thanks to its massive exposed glass walls and vast spaces. But for Severance, that openness takes on a chilling quality.

“They really did try to create this perfect working, living world,” Hindle said in his Curbed interview. “People had dance shows, their own farmers’ markets—they had everything in that place. It was amazing.”

Yet, as the show suggests, even the most “utopian” workplaces can feel like prisons. The Severance team stripped away modern additions, returning the Bell Labs building to its stark, mid-century aesthetic. The result? A setting that emphasizes power, control, and the unsettling sterility of the fictional corporation Lumon Industries.

2. The Iconic Exterior & Water Tower

With its long, symmetrical glass façade, the Bell Works exterior serves as the face of Lumon Industries. Several key scenes—including Mark Scout’s arrivals and departures—were filmed here, highlighting the building’s imposing presence.

One of the most recognizable real-world Severance filming locations is the water tower near the parking lot, which appears throughout the series. Like everything at Lumon, the tower looms ominously over the employees, reinforcing the feeling that something bigger—perhaps even sinister—is always watching.

3. A Space Built for Experimentation—Both Then and Now

Bell Laboratories was once the world’s leading innovation center, designed to shape the future. The building’s vast hallways, experimental offices, and meticulously designed atrium made it feel like a place where ideas could change the world.

Yet, the Severance team saw it differently. Once filled with 3,600 trees, shrubs, and plants, the atrium became a vast, sterile void. The carefully planned hallways, meant to encourage collaboration, became an eerie maze for Lumon Industries employees.

Hindle and his set design team even went so far as to digitally erase modern elements, restoring Bell Works to its original mid-century aesthetic.

“We had to take away all of the personality that was inflicted on the building over the last 30 years,” Hindle explained to Curbed.

This careful manipulation of space helped reinforce the fictional world of Severance, making Bell Works feel less like a contemporary business hub and more like a relic of a corporate dystopia.

Bell Works Beyond Severance

While Bell Works may be Lumon Industries in Severance, in reality, it is a vibrant community offering:

• Modern Office & Coworking Spaces – A Metroburb for businesses, entrepreneurs, and creatives.
• Shopping – Featuring boutique stores and essential services.
• Restaurants & Dining – Perfect for grabbing a bite in a one-of-a-kind setting.
• Event Spaces – Unique venues for corporate events, weddings, and special occasions.
• Wellness & Fitness – Designed to support work-life balance in a modern business environment.

Unlike Lumon Industries, Bell Works is designed for community, flexibility, and innovation—proving that the same space that makes an unsettling fictional corporation on-screen can also be an inspiring place to work and play in real life.

Whether you’re a fan of Severance, an admirer of Eero Saarinen’s architecture, or just someone who loves unique filming locations, a visit to Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ, is a must.

Plan your visit to Bell Works and experience the architectural brilliance behind Severance!