NEW YORK — The winners of the 2012 Lumen Awards were announced during the annual Lumen Gala, which took place at New York's Chelsea Pier Sixty on Thursday, June 21. Presented by The New York City Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IESNYC), the Lumen Awards recognize excellence, professionalism, ingenuity and originality in lighting designs that have transformed some of the world's most prestigious buildings and spaces.
Ten Lumen Awards in three categories were presented by Adrienne Shulman of GE Lighting and Megan Carroll of Xicato: the Lumen Award of Excellence, the highest level of recognition for permanent architectural application; the Lumen Award of Merit, meritorious recognition in permanent architectural application; and the Lumen Citation, special recognition awards for an art installation, technical detail, portion of a single project, temporary installation or other work.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: The National September 11 Memorial, New York, NY: FISHER MARANTZ STONE, INC., Paul Marantz, Zack Zanolli, Carla Ross-Allen, and Barry Citrin — In downtown Manhattan, the long-awaited National 9/11 Memorial opened on the 10th anniversary of the infamous tragedy, surrounded by a site in the throes of construction. In remembrance of the victims and for the unity of a nation, two reflecting pools reside as remnant voids of the fallen towers, relatively discrete within the half-completed plaza. From collaboration and persistence, a glimmer of solace and peace has surfaced in the midst of a highly bureaucratic and emotionally arresting project that was conceptualized by one, orchestrated by many, and created for all.
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: The Rookery Building, Chicago, IL: OFFICE FOR VISUAL INTERACTION, INC.(OVI), Jean Sundin and Enrique Peiniger — The Rookery, a milestone in American architecture, makes history again as nighttime lighting graces its façades for the first time in the edifice's over century-long history. OVI's new exterior lighting softly highlights the intricate masonry and distinctive red color. To fulfill the Chicago Landmarks Commission requirements, custom 14-watt LED luminaires (1.5”-high) are concealed from pedestrian view, using field-adjustable mounting arms that minimize contact with the historic facade. Special micro-optics create a flattened cone of illumination, grazing three stories high, without spilling light into the night sky and eliminating glare for tenants. The resulting scheme minimizes both hardware and energy use.
CITATION for Lighting that Supports the Architecture: Cornell University-Milstein Hall, Ithaca, NY: TILLOTSON DESIGN ASSOCIATES, Suzan Tillotson and Christopher Cheap — Cornell University's new Architecture, Art, and Planning building, Milstein Hall, is thoughtfully intertwined with the existing historic buildings. The three story building includes flexible studio space on the upper plate, a pedestrian plaza and auditorium on the ground level, and a critique space and gallery below grade. The lighting systems were carefully designed to amalgamate to the unique ceiling design at each of the three levels with some unexpected lighting interventions woven in. Fixture and lamp selections compliment the building aesthetic and the specific function of each floor.
CITATION for Integration of Daylighting and Electrical Lighting: Sidwell Friends School Meeting House, Washington D.C.: ARUP, Christopher Rush, Theresa Mahoney, Matt Franks, and Brian Stacy — Nestled at the heart of the arts center, the Quaker Meeting Room is bounded by serenely floating architectural planes. The central roof monitor adds daylight, with indirect fluorescent lighting for presence at night. Floating wall panels control daylight through existing clerestories behind, and allow for concealed lighting. On the other walls, lights in large reveals at the ceiling wash where daylight could not reach. Electric light maintains the space's elegance even when daylight is not present. Controllability ensures lighting can be tailored to complement varying daylight, projection onto the walls, or to highlight the central focus of the room.
AWARD OF MERIT: Cité de l'Ocean et du Surf Museum, Biarritz, France: L'OBSERVATOIRE INTERNATIONAL, Hervé Descottes and Nicolas Dufils — The oceanographic sea-side museum Cité de l'Ocean et du Surf glows calmly when darkness falls. The lantern effect is achieved with the use of uninterrupted peripheral coves with dimmable high efficiency fluorescent fixtures turning on in synchrony with sunset. Inside, ceiling of the exhibition areas is convex, reminiscent of the nearby sea and its waves. Absolutely no fixtures were allowed in the ceiling, so the light scheme offers a totally uncluttered and smooth horizontal surface.
AWARD OF MERIT: CUC - Claremont University Consortium, Claremont, CA: LUMEN ARCHITECTURE, Nelson C. Jenkins, Francesca Bastianni, and Alejandro Bulaevsky — Previously a dismal gabled-roof workshop and storage shed, this administrative building has been reborn through a series of creative light installations that dynamically define office and communal areas creating uniquely user-friendly spaces. Playful lighting gestures extend from the exterior where a wood slat entrance is threaded with linear LED strips leading inside to an interactive LED “leaf” garden, then onto multipurpose rooms expressing strategically random arrays of recessed fluorescent downlights and dimmable solar tubes of varying apertures, enveloped by an undulating “cloud-like” structure, stretching the building's length and screening the mechanical systems. Voila! A wealth of visual and functional delights.
AWARD OF MERIT: Elizabeth Arden, Stamford, CT Offices: RS LIGHTING DESIGN, Randy Sabedra — The lighting for Elizabeth Arden not only supports the offices daily activities, it also plays with the refractive and reflective qualities of light thru glass. The visual impact begins at the entry with a decorative chandelier made of 92 perfume bottles. Each equipped with a white LED, creates a lively and kinetic sculpture, and sets a tone for the overall lighting concept and asks “What does it feels like to be inside a perfume bottle?” Glass meeting and lounge spaces form abstract and over-scaled containers of light; each unique chandelier plays with light thru translucent and transparent materials.
AWARD OF MERIT: Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Washington D.C.: DAVID MINTZ, FIALD, FIES and RANDY BURKETT LIGHTING DESIGN, INC., Randy Burkett FIALD, LC, Elizabeth Arras, Mary Goodwin, Susan Jennings, and Ron Kurtz LEED AP — Forty years after his death, a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been constructed on the National Mall, symbolically located on a direct line between the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. An imposing “stone of hope” sculpture, a sweeping inscription wall and a granite “mountain of despair” convey the message of freedom, opportunity and justice. Carefully integrated lighting elements express the spirit of this metaphorical message and create a powerful visitor experience. The stringent operating mandates of the National Park Service and the desire to achieve nighttime harmony with the adjacent memorials were important technical considerations.
AWARD OF MERIT: The High Line Section 2, New York, NY: L'OBSERVATOIRE INTERNATIONAL, Herve Descottes and Jason Neches — Transformed from a decaying industrial railroad into a public park, Section Two of the High Line brings the park to a total 1.5 miles. Visitors promenade through the street grid 30 feet in the air, their path highlighted with lit handrails, illuminated benches, and accentuated areas of vegetation. All light fixtures are below eye-level, creating a glare free, dream-like view of the cityscape. Even when darkness falls, the lit handrails keep the park's paths safely lit, while the low height of these lights eliminate glare for unique, spectacular night views of the city.
AWARD OF MERIT: Yotel, New York, NY: FOCUS LIGHTING, Paul Gregory, Michael Cummings, Scott Hay, Christine Hope, Kenneth Schutz, and Ken Ventry — Yotel's distinct design aesthetic was inspired by business class airline cabins and Japanese capsule hotels. Upon entering Yotel, guests escape the bustle of the streets of Manhattan and are instantly immersed in a futuristic environment of computerized concierges, a luggage-toting robot, and beds that rotate and transform with a push of a button. This UK-based hotel brand demands “21st century luxury” through the use of light-hued finishes in modern and sleek spaces. Lighting features are seamlessly integrated into the architecture to showcase the minimalist spaces. With a bold, yet simple approach to lighting, Yotel celebrates its unique style while achieving a LEED Silver rating.
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About IESNYC
The NYC Section (IESNYC) of the Illuminating Engineering Society is a volunteer professional membership organization comprised of individuals who share a mutual appreciation for, and fascination with, all things lighting. The roster includes lighting designers, architects, engineers, consultants, lighting manufacturers, lighting representatives, electrical distributors and allied professionals. All are dedicated to promoting both the art and science of illumination not only to members, but also to other professional organizations, the industry, and the public. This is done through inspirational events, informative programs and educational series, as well as social networking opportunities. http://www.iesnyc.org
IMAGES AND PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS LEFT TO RIGHT The National September 11 Memorial: © Caridad Sola Photography / The Rookery Building: The Rookery LP / Cornell University: © Iwan Baan / Sidwell Friends School Meeting House: Michael Moran Studio / Cité de l'Ocean et du Surf Museum: © Fernando Guerra / Claremont University Consortium: LTL Architects, Luke Gibson / Elizabeth Arden: © Eric Laignell / Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial: Hoachlander Davis Photography / The High Line Section 2: © Emile Dubuisson / Yotel: © Nikolas Koenig
