Luminaries

Client
Brookfield Properties

Location
Brookfield Place
New York, New York

Sector
Commercial Environments
Public Space

Size
4,720 sq ft

In order to forge a new ritual in a monumental public space—one that is as anticipated as Rockefeller Center’s Tree Lighting—we dove deep into holiday traditions to create a permanent, annual installation for Brookfield Place.

This interactive public lighting display was built on a simple but powerful narrative of the season’s traditions of sharing, giving, community and light. A canopy of 650 twinkling custom Luminode lanterns change in color and intensity, and follow the glass-enclosed topography of the iconic Winter Garden. The glow of the lanterns draws the eye through the space from the stair towards the waterfront outside. In the past, visitors could make holiday wishes by placing their hands on a wishing station—two glowing sculptural cubic blocks of varying heights—which would then pulse with color. When visitors released their hands, the station would send their wish to the canopy above, translating it into a mesmerizing display of dappling lights and colors that travel across the canopy.

In light of the health concerns related to COVID-19, we transformed the wishing stations into a completely touch-less experience without altering the narrative of its magic, showing how interactive design can seamlessly evolve with the times. We removed the touch-sensitive film from the wishing stations and added depth sensing cameras to track visitors’ movements. When a visitor walks up to the kiosk, their presence activates the wishing experience. A docent will ask the visitor to make a wish and then to raise their hands up to the sky. Once the camera senses this action, the wish is released to the canopy.

In its ambient glowing state, Luminaries emits patterns of light that drift across the surface of the canopy. The patterns include a rotation of choreographed light and music shows inspired by such natural phenomena as the Northern Lights and the drift of falling snowflakes. Brookfield Place will donate $1, up to $25,000, for every wish made during the holiday season to ROAR (Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants). ROAR is a community of restaurant owners and industry veterans with a mission to advocate for independent restaurant businesses devastated by the effects of COVID-19, support restaurant workers suffering financial hardship, and help create a path to a sustainable future for the hospitality industry in New York.

With this new ritual, intimacy and spectacle can be felt and experienced simultaneously. Luminaries at Brookfield Place holds power in its temporary existence, supporting a seasonal celebration. Locals and tourists alike have an opportunity to pause, reflect, and look forward to a new year.