The Lighting Practice joined Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (ESRT) Wednesday, August 22, at the unveiling and ribbon cutting of the Empire State Building’s new 34th Street entrance and grand lobby. As part of the team that reimagined the guest journey, The Lighting Practice designed a lighting system that supports the building’s enchanting and educational experience known around the world.
A leading national lighting design firm, The Lighting Practice provided the lighting and control system design for the renovated entrance and public areas, elevators, exhibits and model displays, celebrity green room and amenity rooms. TLP worked closely with ESRT and the rest of the project team on the conception and execution of the design. The transformation was based on input from more than 4 million people who pass through the doors of the World’s Most Famous Building each year.
“From our work on the Empire State Building’s iconic tower lighting system to a number of interior projects, The Lighting Practice is proud to help take the Guest experience to the next level,” said Al Borden, Principal. “Today, ESRT is unveiling yet another way the building continues to delight, educate and inspire people from all over the world.”
The unforgettable experience at the Empire State Building comes in part from its integration of technology to improve Guest accessibility and social shareability. A majestic grand staircase in the new 34th Street entrance overlooks a 25-foot architectural model of the building that mimics the colors of the world-famous tower lights. Engaging transaction systems and digital, interactive exhibits facilitate a seamless journey. Touchpoints throughout the space appeal to 13 targeted cultures in nine languages.
All lighting fixtures in the newly opened space use LED sources, which provide a crisp visual appearance and a reduced carbon footprint. Lighting intensities are tuned to each space and are programmed to change to maximize Guest engagement. The building models, designed by Richard Tenguerian, use miniature color-changing LEDs with a special graphical user interface designed into the lighting control system. The Lighting Practice worked closely with Atom Arts to integrate the lighting into the models and lighting system.
“This Guest journey has been conceived, designed and implemented by best-in-class leaders in worldwide destination attractions and customer experiences, with every detail lab-tested to incorporate consumer feedback,” Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. noted.
Additional enhancements to the Observatory experience will be revealed over the coming months. To plan a visit to the Empire State Building, visit www.empirestatebuilding.com.
Project Team: Atom Arts, Beneville Studios, Corgan, Diversified., Ideo, Intersection, JLL, Kubik Maltbie, Skanska, Squint / Opera, Syska Hennessy Group, Tenguerian, The Lighting Practice, Thinc Design, Thornton Tomasetti
