Noted by the jury for its ability to erase the often drawn line between public and private cooperation, Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts façade lighting infuses the city’s performing arts district with new life. Initiated by Center City District (CCD), a business improvement district, and inspired by the City of Lyon lighting festival in France, the façades along a six-block area from City Hall to Pine Street are now illuminated each night with light shows of seasonal colors that run from dusk to midnight. Lighting serves as both an “economic and cultural stimulant,” encouraging people to reacquaint themselves with the city’s downtown.
The directive faced numerous challenges, from convincing building owners to participate, to testing new LED technologies, to the review and approval process for working within a National Historic District. The initiative by all accounts can be considered a success, serving as a model for other U.S. cities looking to breathe new life into their urban cores.
Manufacturers / Applications B-K Lighting: 70W PAR30 spotlights ETC: High-intensity discharge metal halide lamps Philips Color Kinetics: ColorGraze and ColorBlast Powercore luminaires We-ef: 150W metal halide floodlights Winona: 39W T6 wallwasher
Elizabeth Donoff is Editor-at-Large of Architectural Lighting (AL). She served as Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2017. She joined the editorial team in 2003 and is a leading voice in the lighting community speaking at industry events such as Lightfair and the International Association of Lighting Designers Annual Enlighten Conference, and has twice served as a judge for the Illuminating Engineering Society New York City Section’s (IESNYC) Lumen Award program. In 2009, she received the Brilliance Award from the IESNYC for dedicated service and contribution to the New York City lighting community. Over the past 11 years, under her editorial direction, Architectural Lighting has received a number of prestigious B2B journalism awards. In 2017, Architectural Lighting was a Top Ten Finalist for Magazine of the Year from the American Society of Business Publication Editors' AZBEE Awards. In 2016, Donoff received the Jesse H. Neal Award for her Editor’s Comments in the category of Best Commentary/Blog, and in 2015, AL received a Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Media Brand (Overall Editorial Excellence).Prior to her entry into design journalism, Donoff worked in New York City architectural offices including FXFowle where she was part of the project teams for the Reuters Building at Three Times Square and the New York Times Headquarters. She is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Me., and she earned her Master of Architecture degree from the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis.
