177 Huntington

Lighting designers Available Light used RGBW and Dynamic White Lumenfacade luminaires in a vertical cove along the lenght of the 177 Huntington tower, emphasizing the building's height and brutalist architecture.

Once occupied by the First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston's I.M. Pei designed 177 Huntington Avenue is now a private office tower in the center of the city. In order to rebrand the building, lighting designers Available Light were brought in to develop a flexible, dynamic lighting design.

"They wanted to update the building, improve sustainability, and enhance the architecture by adding an iconic and elegant nighttime lighting feature," says Matt Zelkowitz, Principal at Available Light.

Working with experience design firm ESI, and architects NBBJ, Available Light chose to use a range of RGBW and Dynamic White Lumenfacade luminaires. "We used Dynamic White in the canopy to uplight the arch, tune the colour and to best render the façade materials," says Zelkowitz.

The luminaires are installed in a vertical cove along the length of the tower, creating a unified, illuminated line emphasizing the building's height and unique classic brutalist architecture.

"Lumenpulse had the optics, controls, and the RGBW that we needed. The biggest challenge is accessing the fixtures because of the building's height, so the longevity of the products was another key factor. With Lumenpulse products, we were able to locate luminaires in places we wouldn't normally install legacy light sources," says Zelkowitz.

The result is a subtle, flexible lighting design that updates the building's nighttime appearance, and puts it back in the spotlight.

"When we were programming, people on the street would stop to tell us how much they liked it," Zelkowitz says, adding that the design has generated positive reaction from the community at large.

"People just love it."

Equipment specified:

81 x Lumenfacade RGBW (4', 30 X 60)

2 x Lumenfacade Dynamic White (3', 30 x 60)

3 x Lumenfacade Dynamic White (4', 30 x 60)

1 x Lumenfacade Dynamic White (2', 60 x 60)

3 x Lumenfacade Dynamic White (4', 60 x 60)

1 x LumenID

1 x Lumentouch

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Location: 177 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Market: Institutions + Workplaces
Firm: ESI
Lighting Design: Available Light
Architect: NBBJ
Photographer: Andrew Lyngarkos

Lumenpulse had the optics, controls, and the RGBW that we needed. The biggest challenge is accessing the fixtures because of the building’s height, so the longevity of the products was another key factor. With Lumenpulse products, we were able to locate luminaires in places we wouldn’t normally install legacy light sources.

Matt Zelkowitz
Available Light