Lighting Elements Showcase: State Street, Chicago

 



Lightscape: A Multisensory Experience on State Street is a unique installation of color and light choreographed to music in downtown Chicago's busy shopping and business district. The project was commissioned by the Chicago Loop Alliance, which sought a year-round decorative lighting solution that could be adapted to changing seasons without excessive maintenance.

The winning concept – an arrangement of LED reeds and integrated sound in planters along the sidewalks – was designed to drive interest and interaction along the street. The project resulted in a one-of-a-kind experience for residents and tourists that changes with the seasons.

The sandblasted acrylic tops on the head assemblies were designed to contain LED fixtures, functioning as stylized beacons instead of projecting light in a particular direction. The housing was fitted specially to the acrylic reeds, which were custom-made from aircraft-grade spun fiberglass. The material was chosen in part for its flexibility, allowing the reeds to sway in the wind.

Each of the 56 reeds runs on only three watts, with red, blue and green programmable LED, using DMX protocols that are refreshed 40 times each second via a custom wireless network. Every reed in the 18 cluster locations has a unique DMX address for customization.

Located along seven blocks of State Street, the installation features clusters of custom LED fixtures in 18 planters. Between 9am and 10pm each day, the installation's embedded speakers broadcast musical selections and special announcements as the lights change patterns in synchronization with the music. For instance, during the month of February, the community submitted their favorite love songs, which were played with an accompanying light show as people strolled throughout the corridor.