Allan Toft
| Tribute in Light, New York, 2002 |
A lighting project unlike any other, Tribute in Light commemorated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and celebrated the power of the human spirit in the face of tragedy. These symbolic pillars of light, meant to recall the silhouettes of the Twin Towers, were a powerful statement. Lighting designer Paul Marantz of Fisher Marantz Stone was called upon to realize the design initiated by architects John Bennett and Gustavo Bonevardi, artists Paul Myoda and Julian Laverdiere, and architect Richard Nash Gould. The lighting equipment and space requirements were anything but simple. Each pillar of light was composed of 44 individual luminaires set in a 50-foot square. The 5000K, 7,000W xenon spotlights beamed into the night sky and could be seen up to 20 miles away. The image of the twin beams of light has become a cultural symbol as iconic as the original buildings.