The Gateway Arch

ST. LOUIS - McGrath & Associates, Inc. recently completed the installation of a state-of-the-art lighting system to illuminate the Gateway Arch at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park on the St. Louis riverfront. Randy Burkett Lighting Design created the unique lighting design.

The Arch had been the only national monument that was not externally lit. It was believed that its stainless steel surface, which acts like a mirror, would cause light to bounce off the structure and create hot spots. The project team used new technologies only recently made available in the architectural lighting industry.

The lighting system consists of 44 high-density lights controlled by a central computer. The lights are located in four concrete pits that are 8' deep, 10' wide and 55' long. "We put great value on our responsibility as caretaker of this great national monument and the safety of our visiting public," said Gary W. Easton, superintendent of the National Park Service.