...color-changing wash lights on the roof, as well as color-changing direct-view linear fixtures and white sconces across the facade, create a dynamic, illuminated landmark that helps define Milwaukee’s skyline after dark.
...color-changing wash lights on the roof, as well as color-changing direct-view linear fixtures and white sconces across the facade, create a dynamic, illuminated landmark that helps define Milwaukee’s skyline after dark.
The owners of the Associated Bank Tower in Milwaukee sought new exterior lighting that would illuminate the structure at night and draw passersby to the building. As the tower’s existing lighting consisted of only a few floodlights on the facade, the project to design and install the new lighting was essentially a “new build.” Now, color-changing wash lights on the roof, as well as color-changing direct-view linear fixtures and white sconces across the facade, create a dynamic, illuminated landmark that helps define Milwaukee’s skyline after dark.
The height and scale of the building posed logistical challenges for the team, as did the fact that the lighting was essentially designed from scratch, so there were no existing access points to work with. In addition, establishing access was especially difficult because tenants could not be disturbed, so much of the construction was completed during nighttime hours.
In the end, 1,400 linear feet of direct-view fixtures supplement wash lights on the roof, as well as white sconces on the facade that contain a specific optical source to illuminate a thin strip up and down, without spilling light outward or to the sides. If the luminaires were surface mounted as originally intended, the light would not illuminate the wall in the desired manner, so the sconces are mounted to a junction box that’s recessed into the existing brick façade.
All lighting is integrated with DMX controls that offer 80 dynamic options for various occasions, holidays, and more, with the ability to adjust scenes via the internet. After sunset, the lighting is also programmed to showcase a 2-minute dynamic, sparkling scene every hour on the hour. While in the past passersby might forget the presence of the building, the new movement draws the focus back into the building, each and every time.
