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The relighting of the landmark U.S. Custom House opened New York City's eyes to a structure that for too long had been lost in the shadows
Even though it's around 9:30 on a Monday night, the plaza in front of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at Manhattan's southern tip is host to tourists with cameras and admirers sitting on the steps of its grand entry stairway. For Randy Sabedra and Patricia DiMaggio, who were integral to the structure's recent relighting, this was a refreshing scene. The Custom House, a steelframed, Beaux Arts-style, seven-story National Historic Landmark facing New York City's Bowling Green, is a grand structure replete with statues, a frieze of entablature, arches, columns and an entry staircase. However, prior to its relighting this past May, the ornate details of this 100-year-old icon were lost-the building had fallen victim to its own lighting.
The idea to relight the Custom House in time for LIGHTFAIR 2007 came from DiMaggio, OSRAM SYLVANIA's commercial engineer for the New York area and project manager on the project. One night after walking past the Custom House, DiMaggio noticed the lighting did not do the grand structure justice. "The building appeared gloomy and eerie since all the light was washing up the façade. I really could not see all the intricate details; the Four Continents were in shadow, along with the detailing around the windows," says DiMaggio.
It was at this point that she decided to meet with Con Edison, representatives from the Smithsonian and the GSA to begin the development of a new lighting design and installation that would call attention to the building's features, while saving energy. Enlisting the expertise of Sabedra of RS Lighting Design in Manhattan, the team gave the 450,000-sq ft structure an exterior lighting overhaul just in time for its centennial in May, National Historic Preservation Month and a tour by industry professionals during LIGHTFAIR. OSRAM donated all light products, designer fees, materials and installation for the more than 150 lighting fixtures.
Designed by Cass Gilbert, the Custom House is home to the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Customs and Border...