Unlocking The Mystery: A Deep Dive Into Severance Filming Locations

From its chilling premise to its immaculate, unsettling aesthetic, Apple TV+'s Severance has captivated audiences worldwide. The show plunges viewers into the enigmatic world of Lumon Industries, where employees undergo a surgical procedure to separate their work memories from their personal lives. But beyond the brilliant performances and mind-bending plot, one of the most striking elements of Severance is its meticulously crafted environment. The stark, almost sterile corporate halls of Lumon, contrasted with the seemingly idyllic yet subtly off-kilter outside world, are characters in themselves. This raises a fascinating question for many fans: where exactly was this eerie, unforgettable world brought to life?

While the fictional company town of Kier, PE, where much of the show is set, exists only in the minds of the show's creators, the locations that form this mysterious town on-screen are very much real. Following the clues of local press and diligent tracking by sources like Atlas of Wonders, we can pull back the curtain on the real-life places that shaped the unsettling universe of Severance.

The Fictional World of Kier, PE, and Its Real-Life Roots

The world of Severance is centered around the fictional state abbreviated as "PE," a clever way to ground the narrative without tying it to a specific, identifiable real-world location. However, the magic of filmmaking allows this fictional setting to spring to life through a combination of on-location shoots. Principal photography for the first season commenced in October 2020, primarily taking place across two prominent East Coast states: New York and New Jersey.

This strategic choice of locations allowed the production team to capture a diverse range of architectural styles and natural landscapes, seamlessly blending them to create the distinct atmosphere of Kier. From imposing corporate structures to quaint suburban homes, every setting contributes to the show's unique visual language, making the line between the "inny" and "outy" worlds even more blurred.

Lumon Industries: The Heart of the Mystery

Lumon Industries is more than just a company; it's a character in Severance. Its imposing, almost Brutalist architecture and endless, sterile corridors are central to the show's aesthetic and its themes of corporate control and existential dread. While the interior sets were meticulously designed to evoke a sense of claustrophobia and endlessness, the exterior of Lumon is a real-world architectural marvel.

The Iconic Exterior: Bell Works, Holmdel, New Jersey

One of the most striking and recognizable filming locations for Severance is undoubtedly the exterior of Lumon Industries, which is in reality the Bell Works complex in Holmdel, New Jersey. Formerly known as the Bell Labs Holmdel Complex, this historic building was once a renowned research and development facility. Its vast, modernist design, with its distinctive mirrored facade and sprawling grounds, perfectly embodies the monolithic, almost alien presence of Lumon in the show.

The choice of Bell Works is a stroke of genius. Its history as a hub of innovation and its somewhat isolated, self-contained nature lend an air of corporate mystique and a sense of being cut off from the outside world, mirroring the severed minds of Lumon's employees. When you see the characters approaching or leaving Lumon, you're looking at a piece of architectural history that now serves as a powerful symbol of corporate power and secrecy in the Severance universe.

Beyond Lumon: Exploring Kier's Outskirts

While Lumon's towering presence dominates the narrative, the show also explores the "outy" lives of its characters, taking us into the seemingly mundane yet subtly unsettling suburban landscapes of Kier. These external scenes, which often highlight the stark contrast between the innies' confined existence and the outies' troubled freedom, were filmed across various locations in New York and New Jersey.

New York's Contribution: Kingston and Westchester County

New York State played a significant role in shaping the look of Kier's residential and public spaces. Many of the show's notable landmarks outside of Lumon were captured in Kingston, New York. While specific establishments like "Eng's" are mentioned in connection to Kingston, the general atmosphere of the town contributed to the show's unique blend of familiarity and unease.

Further south, in Westchester County, New York, several important locations were brought to life. Perhaps most notably, Devon and Ricken’s house—the idyllic, yet strangely sterile refuge outside of Lumon—was filmed in this area. The choice of Westchester, known for its affluent suburbs and scenic landscapes, provides a visual counterpoint to Lumon's starkness, yet the way it's presented often imbues it with a sense of quiet desperation or an uncanny valley effect, reflecting the characters' internal struggles.

Nyack: A Lumon-Subsidized Neighborhood

Nyack, a charming village in Rockland County, New York, features prominently in Severance. It serves as the backdrop for Baird Creek Manor, a neighborhood seemingly subsidized by Lumon Industries. This detail adds another layer to Lumon's pervasive influence, suggesting that even outside the office, the company's reach extends into the personal lives of its employees and their communities. Nyack's picturesque streets and homes provide a veneer of normalcy that subtly underscores the abnormal circumstances of the residents living under Lumon's shadow.

Kier's Hot Spots: Pip's Bar & Grille and Mark's Residence

As viewers delve deeper into the lives of Mark and his colleagues, several key "hot spots" within Kier, PE, become familiar. Locations like Pip’s Bar & Grille, a place where characters attempt to unwind or grapple with their fractured identities, and Mark's own residence, a place of solitude and often despair, are crucial to the narrative. While the specific real-world addresses for these internal locations are not always publicized, they were meticulously chosen and dressed to reflect the show's unique blend of retro-futurism and corporate drabness. The scene in the second episode, "Half Loop," where Mark finds himself in a bewildering situation, is a prime example of how these on-location shoots immerse the viewer in the characters' fragmented reality.

The Atmosphere and How Locations Contribute

The choice of filming locations in Severance is not arbitrary; it's a deliberate artistic decision that profoundly impacts the show's atmosphere. The blend of real-world corporate architecture, suburban homes, and small-town charm creates a disquieting sense of familiarity that is constantly undermined by the show's underlying themes of control and identity loss. The locations themselves become silent narrators, reflecting the characters' internal states and the pervasive influence of Lumon.

Director Ben Stiller, along with the entire production team, meticulously scouted these areas to ensure they perfectly encapsulated the vision for Kier, PE. The effort to track down the locations of the fictional Kier town, often by following clues from local press, highlights the dedication to making every aspect of the show feel authentic, even when depicting a deeply unsettling, fictional reality. Whether it's the imposing facade of Lumon or the quiet desperation of a suburban street, each location contributes to the show's unsettling brilliance.

Summary

In summary, the captivating and eerie world of Apple TV+'s Severance, while set in the fictional town of Kier, PE, was brought to life through extensive on-location filming primarily across New York and New Jersey. Key filming locations include the iconic Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey, serving as the imposing exterior of Lumon Industries. Other crucial settings, such as suburban homes and public spaces, were captured in various parts of New York, including Kingston, Westchester County (home to Devon and Ricken's house), and Nyack, which features prominently as the Lumon-subsidized neighborhood of Baird Creek Manor. These carefully selected real-world backdrops, from specific hot spots like Pip's Bar & Grille to Mark's residence, are integral to the show's unique aesthetic, contributing significantly to its unsettling atmosphere and the profound sense of corporate control and fragmented reality that defines Severance.