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Public Spaces + Streets

Leni Schwendinger, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, Urban lighting Design, Urban Design Lighting, Nighttime Design, creative concepts to full-service lighting designs, Creative Urban Lighting, Nighttime Design, Light Projects, how does a city find the best lighting designer, night safety with lighting, innovative city public spaces, innovative Urban public spaces, lighting designs that optimize nighttime experiences, sustainable Urban public spaces, creative public spaces, outdoor light at "night" for walkability, creative city ideas, how can we fix our boring "downtown" at night, city strategies for exciting nights, infrastructure lighting, landmarks lighting, urban environment lighting, lighting design, International Nighttime Design Initiative, lightwalks, Urban Design Forum, Professional lighting Company, Light Projects Near Me, Urban Lighting, Urban Light Studio, Creative Lighting Concepts, Creative Lighting Projects, Creative Lighting Design, Light Design, Creative Light Studio,
Leni Schwendinger, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, Urban lighting Design, Urban Design Lighting, Nighttime Design, creative concepts to full-service lighting designs, Creative Urban Lighting, Nighttime Design, Light Projects, how does a city find the best lighting designer, night safety with lighting, innovative city public spaces, innovative Urban public spaces, lighting designs that optimize nighttime experiences, sustainable Urban public spaces, creative public spaces, outdoor light at "night" for walkability, creative city ideas, how can we fix our boring "downtown" at night, city strategies for exciting nights, infrastructure lighting, landmarks lighting, urban environment lighting, lighting design, International Nighttime Design Initiative, lightwalks, Urban Design Forum, Professional lighting Company, Light Projects Near Me, Urban Lighting, Urban Light Studio, Creative Lighting Concepts, Creative Lighting Projects, Creative Lighting Design, Light Design, Creative Light Studio,
Leni Schwendinger, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, Urban lighting Design, Urban Design Lighting, Nighttime Design, creative concepts to full-service lighting designs, Creative Urban Lighting, Nighttime Design, Light Projects, how does a city find the best lighting designer, night safety with lighting, innovative city public spaces, innovative Urban public spaces, lighting designs that optimize nighttime experiences, sustainable Urban public spaces, creative public spaces, outdoor light at "night" for walkability, creative city ideas, how can we fix our boring "downtown" at night, city strategies for exciting nights, infrastructure lighting, landmarks lighting, urban environment lighting, lighting design, International Nighttime Design Initiative, lightwalks, Urban Design Forum, Professional lighting Company, Light Projects Near Me, Urban Lighting, Urban Light Studio, Creative Lighting Concepts, Creative Lighting Projects, Creative Lighting Design, Light Design, Creative Light Studio,

Photos: Michael Grimm Photography

Photos: Michael Grimm Photography

Times Square Plaza Reconstruction

Location

New York, New York

Client

NYC Department of Design and Construction, NYC Department of Transporation

Team

Snohetta, Matthews Nielsen Landscape Architects, Thornton Tomasetti, Buro Happold, Wesler Cohen

Leni Schwendinger, Leni Schwendinger Light Projects, Urban lighting Design, Urban Design Lighting, Nighttime Design, creative concepts to full-service lighting designs, Creative Urban Lighting, Nighttime Design, Light Projects, how does a city find the best lighting designer, night safety with lighting, innovative city public spaces, innovative Urban public spaces, lighting designs that optimize nighttime experiences, sustainable Urban public spaces, creative public spaces, outdoor light at "night" for walkability, creative city ideas, how can we fix our boring "downtown" at night, city strategies for exciting nights, infrastructure lighting, landmarks lighting, urban environment lighting, lighting design, International Nighttime Design Initiative, lightwalks, Urban Design Forum, Professional lighting Company, Light Projects Near Me, Urban Lighting, Urban Light Studio, Creative Lighting Concepts, Creative Lighting Projects, Creative Lighting Design, Light Design, Creative Light Studio,

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The Times Square Plaza Reconstruction is a case study in how integrative, site-specific illumination mirrors and intensifies planning objectives. The international draw of Times Square is due in part to the role of light.) In Times Square light is an event in and of itself. “Found” light from signage, shop windows, and marquees compete in a pulsing cacophony of sparkle and animation.

In late May 2009, a pilot to improve traffic and safety in Times Square by blocking traffic and creating a temporary plaza was completed. In 2010 invited teams competed for the permanent design of the plaza. Leni Schwendinger Light Projects joined with a design team led by architecture firm Snohetta. The team’s multi-media show presentation won over the complex set of owners – a municipal and private-public consortium.

Multiple sources of lighting contribute to the nighttime environment of Times Square; commercial advertising billboards, municipal lighting, and endless streams of vehicular traffic. The plaza is bathed rhythmically and chromatically with graphics from direct-view LED and bracketed billboard luminaires.

In the end, as happens with many public square projects, because of liability, budget, and other agency priorities, the lighting design was simply achieved by a consolidated streetlight layout utilizing the “New” New York City light pole.

Additionally, arising from Schwendinger’s early sketch concepts, bright metal disks were embedded into the paving to reflect the colored commercial light typical of Times Square. Construction was completed in 2017.

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