PROJECT DETAILS
Empire State Plaza
New York, United States
Installed Products
The Empire State Plaza, New York State Capitol, and Alfred E. Smith Building form the civic and cultural heart of Albany. To honour these landmarks and reimagine their presence in the city skyline, the State of New York launched an ambitious LED retrofit program—uniting sustainability, technology, and visual storytelling.
Completed in 2021, the project replaced an outdated exterior lighting system with a coordinated, programmable solution that animates the Plaza and its surroundings in vivid colour. Working with Grant & Vine, the team carefully balanced functionality, heritage, and innovation across 11 interconnected buildings spanning more than 600 feet of elevation change. A hybrid control network combining Lumentalk® and wireless DMX enables seamless communication between sites, giving operators the flexibility to illuminate each structure individually or in unison.
The installation included 50 new poles designed to meet historic preservation standards while enhancing the plaza's architecture. Each luminaire was carefully aimed to achieve powerful, even illumination—sometimes exceeding 600 linear feet of throw—while maintaining energy efficiency and minimizing glare.
What was once a static, energy-intensive system is now a living canvas. The Plaza's new lighting marks cultural events, holidays, and community causes through dynamic colour and coordinated displays, dramatically reducing energy use and maintenance needs in the process.
The Empire State Plaza retrofit shows how performance-driven, sustainable lighting can preserve architectural heritage while transforming urban identity—turning light itself into a symbol of connection and civic pride.
Location: Albany, New York, United States
Market: Urban
Client: New York Power Authority
Engineer: Grant & Vine
Photographer: Philip Kamrass
Equipment Specified: Lumenfacade, Lumenbeam, Lumenquad, Lumentalk
Completed in 2021, the project replaced an outdated exterior lighting system with a coordinated, programmable solution that animates the Plaza and its surroundings in vivid colour. Working with Grant & Vine, the team carefully balanced functionality, heritage, and innovation across 11 interconnected buildings spanning more than 600 feet of elevation change. A hybrid control network combining Lumentalk® and wireless DMX enables seamless communication between sites, giving operators the flexibility to illuminate each structure individually or in unison.
The installation included 50 new poles designed to meet historic preservation standards while enhancing the plaza's architecture. Each luminaire was carefully aimed to achieve powerful, even illumination—sometimes exceeding 600 linear feet of throw—while maintaining energy efficiency and minimizing glare.
What was once a static, energy-intensive system is now a living canvas. The Plaza's new lighting marks cultural events, holidays, and community causes through dynamic colour and coordinated displays, dramatically reducing energy use and maintenance needs in the process.
The Empire State Plaza retrofit shows how performance-driven, sustainable lighting can preserve architectural heritage while transforming urban identity—turning light itself into a symbol of connection and civic pride.
Location: Albany, New York, United States
Market: Urban
Client: New York Power Authority
Engineer: Grant & Vine
Photographer: Philip Kamrass
Equipment Specified: Lumenfacade, Lumenbeam, Lumenquad, Lumentalk
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