Lights, Camera, WALK: A Night Walking Guide to the Most Spectacular Lighting Designs of New York City
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Downtown is the financial and civic center of Manhattan. It offers an opportunity to explore NYC history and emerging design, art, and culture. Begin your journey at 7 World Trade Center. Don’t miss Eleven Tears at the World Financial Center. Wander through Battery Park City for scenic views and illuminated art along the Esplanade towards Battery Park. Walk to the Alexander Hamilton US Customs House, Whitehall Staten Island Ferry, and then meander thru the Financial District to find hidden treasures such as The Elevated Acre and Tiffany’s. A walk up Broadway brings you to the Woolworth Building and City Hall’s Gas Lanterns. End your adventure with a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge for a spectacular skyline view and a visit to This Way just under the bridge in Brooklyn.
1. 7 World Trade Center – Barclay and Greenwich Street. Lighting: Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design
2007 Lumen Award of Excellence - journal page
While the design team sought to create a building of dignity and presence to herald the spirit of a new beginning at ground zero, we had the additional challenge of how to deal with a building whose 80’ base needed to hide transformer vaults. The solution was a shimmering light and metal screen wall and a lobby, inserted into it, with an illuminated ceiling which changes color over the evening. The elegant and mysteriously shimmering base belies the considerable technical challenges overcome to create a custom light art-piece that wraps around an entire city block.
Lighting: Francesca Bettridge, Michael Hennes, Mitul Parekh, Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design
Lighting: Richard Kress, James Carpenter Design Associates Inc.
Architect: Chris Cooper, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP
Architect: James Carpenter, James Carpenter Design Associates Inc.
Project Owner: Larry Silverstein, Silverstein Properties
2. Eleven Tears Memorial – American Express Tower at West and Vesey Street. Lighting: Jim Conti Lighting Design
3. World Financial Center Winter Garden – West Street between Vesey and Liberty Streets in Battery Park City. Lighting: Kugler Ning Associates
4. Irish Hunger Memorial – 290 Vesey Street in Battery Park City. Lighting: Johnson Schwinghammer
5. Battery Park City North Cove Link Pylons – Battery Park City. Lighting: Brandston Partnership
6. “Column” art – Battery Park City
7. Policemen’s Memorial – Battery Park City
8. Battery Park City Esplanade – Battery Park City waterfront. Lighting: Brandston Partnership
9. Battery Park City South Cove – Battery Park City at end of South End Avenue. Lighting: Brandston Partnership
10. Museum of Jewish Heritage – 36 Battery Place in Battery Park City. Lighting: Cosentini Lighting
11. Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park – Battery Park City at south end of Battery Place. Lighting: Fisher Marantz Stone
12. Battery Park Bosque – Battery Park. Lighting: Tillett Lighting Design. (under renovation)
13. Koenig’s Sphere at Battery Park City (relocated World Trade Center Sculpture) – Battery Park. Lighting: OSRAM Sylvania. (under renovation)
14. Alexander Hamilton US Customs House
– One Bowling Green between State Street and Broadway. Lighting: RS Lighting Design 2008 Lumen Citation for Exterior Lighting of an Historic Facade
The relighting of the Alexander Hamilton Custom House was intent on maintaining the historic and architectural integrity of the building, reducing energy consumption, and easing maintenance requirements. The lighting concept is inspired from the interior illumination extending outwards to window openings and overhangs. Lighting designer Randy Sabedra says “the illumination of the Alexander Hamilton Custom House is as much for the buildings occupants as for New York City.”
Lighting: Randy Sabedra, RS Lighting Design
Photography: Tom La Barbara, Picture This Studios
15. Whitehall Staten Island Ferry – State Street and Whitehall Street. Lighting: Arc Light Design
The new ferry terminal which is built on a pier cantilevered over the harbor, giving the feeling that the visitor is experiencing what it’s like on the ferry. The building has a 75 foot high entry hall and features rooftop solar panels, which supply part of the terminal’s energy, and radiant floors which warm the terrazzo floor from below the water-filled tanks.
Lighting: Arc Light Design
Architect: Frederic Schwartz Architects (schwartzarch.com)
Illuminated Signage: Alexander Isley
16. The Elevated Acre – 55 Water Street. Lighting: Jim Conti Lighting Design
Once hidden from view, the elevated plaza was transformed from a barren, windswept brick courtyard, into a green public space with a grand stair, an expansive lawn, a stepped L-shaped amphitheater around an artificial grass lawn, a gently sloping landscaped “dune” and a boardwalk that terminates at a 50-foot high color changing iconic illuminated beacon. During winter hours the beacon can be seen from the street and on the opposite shores of the harbor.
Lighting: Jim Conti Lighting Design
Architect: Rogers Marvel Architects
17. Goldman Sachs & Co Excavation Site – 85 Broad Street
18. 15 Broad Street Lobby (Louis XV Chandelier) – Broad between Wall Street and Exchange Place
19. New York Stock Exchange – Broad Street at Wall Street
20. Tiffany’s Wall Street – Wall Street, between Broad and William. Lighting: CoMos Lighting Design
Photography: Yabu Pushelberg / TSC Design
21. Zuccotti Park – Liberty Street between Church Street and Broadway. Lighting: Kugler Ning Lighting Design
In the aftermath of 9/11, this park was used as a staging area for emergency vehicles, which stressed its already unstable foundation. The new design recreates the diagonal walkway through a grove of shade trees and granite benches, paving stones and milk-white glass pavers lit from below to create a dramatic effect. This year’s 9/11 memorial ceremonies took place in Zucotti Park. Architect: Copper Robertson
22. Woolworth Building (i) – 233 Broadway between Park Place and Barclay Street. Lighting: Douglas Leigh Organization and Lowy & Donath (orig)
23. City Hall Park – Broadway at Park Place. Lighting: Cline Bettridge Bernstein Lighting Design
24. City Hall Exterior Clock Tower and Rotunda – Broadway at Park Place. Lighting: Lindsley Consultants
25. Municipal Building (i) – Center Street and Chambers. Lighting: Brandston Partnership
26. US Courthouse – 40 Foley Square
27. Brooklyn Bridge – City Hall Park, east side of Lower Manhattan. Lighting: Jules Fisher and Cosentini Lighting
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