An international icon has been undergoing a facelift. The “St. Louis Arch” — formally named the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial — is a landmark national park and monument to the nation’s push to expand westward.

Originally unveiled in 1967, the memorial is in the final stages of improving the “Arch experience” with a $380 million renovation of the riverfront, surrounding parks and museums, as well as the steel Arch itself. The goal has been to increase accessibility to visitors, while restoring the area as a centerpiece for the city and a tourist attraction.

Among the improvements is the new ‘North Gateway,’ which serves as a second key entrance to the park. It includes an elevated pedestrian walkway lit with iLight Plexineon White 1X 3500K LED fixtures. As part of the design plan conceived by international landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the walkway provides access to 7.5 acres of new park space where a parking garage once stood, while also creating a unique vantage point for viewing the park and the Arch.

Built around 1835, the Franklin County Courthouse in Frankfort, Ky., has the features of many civic buildings constructed at the time — symmetry and stately limestone columns typical of Greek Revival architecture.

When the courthouse needed additional space, adding 95,000 square feet to the existing structure was also an opportunity to give the exterior a facelift — and in the process, honor President Abraham Lincoln, who was born in Kentucky.

The resulting $23 million LEED facility is now an example of how a government building can effectively marry past with the present.

A new all-LED lighting scheme figured prominently into the plans — and earned CMTA Consulting Engineers an IES Illumination Award of Merit.

Approaching the front entrance, a new outdoor plaza is framed by 16 new limestone columns — a nod to Lincoln being the nation’s 16th president.

Each column houses two thin iLight Plexineon LED fixtures. Plexineon’s slim profile made it possible to recess the fixtures into narrow, vertical channels.

At night, the limestone columns become pillars of light. The illumination of the exterior – the war memorial, flags and stairs — is dramatic. During the day, however, the fixtures are appropriately invisible, as focus shifts to the important work happening inside.

Northwest Farm Credit Services (NFCS) wanted to make a statement at their new headquarters building in Spokane, Wash.

The result is a soaring 28-foot-tall feature wall in the lobby atrium that blends the organic feel of wood slats interspersed with the high-tech look of Hypnotica color-changing LED fixtures.

Visible from both the main level and the floor above, the feature wall visually connects the two spaces while also providing an opportunity for NFCS to reinforce its brand via Hypnotica’s custom lighting capabilities.

Neon has long been part of the experience of driving along historic Route 66 through Albuquerque, New Mexico. Displayed sporadically along the road through the city, a two-sided archway and seven Route 66 signposts echo the art deco design and architecture that is characteristic of Albuquerque’s Old Town area.

But the bright light of neon had a downside: every few months, it would fail. Just as one sign was repaired, another would fail. It became a never-ending cycle.

The city was looking to retain the look of neon, while reducing energy costs and costly repairs. Leading the project for the city were Tony Gurule, Energy and Sustainability Program Manager, and Saif Ismail, Energy Specialist Program Manager. They looked to RKL Sales, a lighting manufacturers’ representative, for guidance.

For its first location in Colorado, GameWorks, Inc. — a national amusement center and sports bar/restaurant chain — wanted fun to emanate throughout the entire 40,000-square-foot venue, where guests enjoy arcade games, Laser Tag, eSports, private party rooms, and more.

The company hired Davis Wince, Ltd. Architecture to oversee design of the Denver location, with the goal to reflect GameWorks’ upbeat, family-friendly brand. The resulting design included use of iLight LED fixtures to add splashes of aesthetic punch — making the setting as exciting as the action that guests enjoy.

Inside the Williamson Road Library in Roanoke, Va. — suspended from the ceiling in an area where young children sit together for story time — an oversized star created using iLight Plexineon LED fixtures serves as a symbol of how the city is looking out for its children.

Roanoke has been honored with a record seven All-America City awards for an ongoing, community-wide effort to help all of its young children master the ability to read. The program, called “Star City Reads,” aims to ensure that every child is able to read proficiently by the end of third grade — a benchmark time in a child’s life that has proven critical for paving the path to future academic success.

A popular hiking and running trail in Austin, Texas, has over 2.6 million visits every year — reflecting the city’s recent growth, including increased downtown residential and office development.

The trail runs around Lady Bird Lake and at one point passes beneath a large automobile bridge: the Ann Richards-Congress Avenue Bridge. That area had become a safety concern due to a tight curve that created a collision threat for pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, a new pedestrian bridge was designed to replace a decades-old wooden one — linking the trail east to west with a reconfigured radius that improves visibility.

Green Plexineon was used to accent the roofline of Jimmy’s Island Grill and Iguana Bar in Wauwatosa, WI to evoke a relaxed, playful atmosphere consistent with Jimmy’s Key West menu and sister restaurants in Florida. Since Jimmy’s is structurally connected to the Radisson Hotel, creating this distinct identity was particularly important.

Teads is a global video advertising-technology company that is growing quickly. The company’s new offices in New York City needed to reflect its dynamic team and culture.

The vision for the space included a mix of materials, from the sleek to the organic. While the overall design is minimalist, a main hallway provided an opportunity to have some fun and make a bold statement.

With a 400-year history, the Collegiate School on Manhattan’s upper West Side is the oldest independent school in the United States and one of New York City’s most prestigious private schools.

However, in conceiving a new facility for the school, planners and the school community were focused firmly on the future. Constructed at 301 Freedom Place South, the 11-story building features a sleek glass facade and 180,000 square feet of classroom, athletics, performing arts, library, dining, and administrative space. At night, it glows from within — the light extending outside, where iLight’s new Handrail Lighting System illuminates stairs leading to the front entrance.

Back to top