New York City’s 230 Park Avenue was once considered a very tall structure in the Manhattan landscape, standing 34 storeys high. Yet within a very short time, it would be dwarfed by the towering Chrysler and Empire State buildings.

Despite being a Beaux-Arts marvel, with its golden cupola and various ornate moldings, it was rendered virtually invisible at night. Only its lit rooftop was discernible from a distance. “The existing lighting used high-pressure sodium sources to illuminate the roof,” says Al Borden, principal at The Lighting Practice, the firm hired to create the bold new lighting design for 230 Park Avenue. “The rest of the building was in shadow. At night, it seemed to blend into the facades of surrounding buildings and disappear.”

Monday Properties engaged The Lighting Practice to rebrand the building by creating a lit exterior that would be immediately recognizable from up close and from afar. “We were asked to illuminate the building from the sidewalk up to the top of the cupola on the north side, and to wrap the lighting treatment around the east, south and west sides of the building at the 29th floor and up,” Borden recounts.

“Our intent has been to give the building a lively nighttime appearance by re-interpreting its historic forms and proportions with concealed uplight sources,” Borden continues. “During daylight hours, when downlit by the sun, the building’s architectural details have a familiar appearance. At night, we flip the source upside down and present a new way of looking at the building. People will see details very differently and have a new experience of the architecture.”

Over 700 Lumenpulse luminaires were used to craft 230 Park Avenue’s nocturnal identity. To do this, The Lighting Practice chose Lumenpulse color-changing fixtures from the Lumenbeam and Lumenfacade families. “Lumenpulse presented excellent project experience and a committed team,” says Borden. “Their financial proposal was competitive and they showed an enthusiasm and attentiveness that was distinctive. They worked hard to get this project and have continued to work hard servicing it.”


Equipment Specified

3rd Floor – Archways
 8 x Lumenfacade Color Changing (3', 60° x 60° optics)
 12 x Lumenfacade Color Changing (4', 60° x 60° optics)

5th Floor – North façade, including medallions, statues and center of building
 4 x Lumenbeam Medium Color Changing (narrow 10° optics)
 8 x Lumenbeam Large Color Changing (narrow 10° optics)
 34 x Lumenbeam LBX Color Changing (very narrow 6° optics)
 32 x Lumenbeam LBX Color Changing (narrow 10° optics)
 6 x Lumenfacade Color Changing (4’, 10° x 60° optics)

16th Floor – Upper portion of north façade, from 16th to 28th floors
 2 x Lumenbeam LBX Color Changing (narrow 20° flood)
 20 x Lumenbeam LBX Color Changing (narrow 10° optics)

29th Floor – From 29th to 32nd floors
 225 x Lumenfacade Color Changing (4’, 10° x 60° optics)

32nd Floor
 112 x Lumenfacade Color Changing (4’, 30° x 60° optics)

33rd Floor
 100 x Lumenbeam Large Color Changing (40° flood)

34th Floor – Bottom part of sloped roof
 44 x Lumenbeam Large Color Changing (40° flood)
 4 x Lumenbeam LBX Color Changing (narrow 10° optics)
 24 x Lumenfacade Color Changing (4’, 10° x 60° optics)

Roof
 8 x Lumenbeam Large Color Changing (40° flood)
 52 x Lumenbeam LBX Color Changing (40° flood)

Cupola
 8 x Lumenfacade Color Changing (4’, 10° x 10° optics)
 16 x Lumenbeam Large Color Changing (narrow 10° optics)


Architect: Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners LLP 
Electrical Engineer: AKF Group LLC 
Owner: Monday Properties & Invesco 
Photographer: Evan Joseph