Washington, D.C.
DESIGN TEAM:
Gilmore Lighting Design
The idea for The Wharf light display began with the desire to create floating circles of light for The Wharf, a waterfront development in Washington, D.C. Debra Gilmore, president and Principal of Gilmore Lighting Design, utilized layers of light to establish a visual hierarchy relating to activity within the locations. One challenge was selecting entry plaza lighting. Functional light with a minimal energy footprint was needed and Gilmore wanted a more unique solution than typical festoon string lighting. The team developed an innovative entry solution comprised of an angled catenary system using suspended, glowing custom LED rings that provide functional egress illumination while adding an artistic moment and a memorable site location. iLight’s Plexineon would be bent to form the circles and suspended from aircraft wire. With the cables angled, rather than horizontal, a custom mounting was needed. Gilmore and her team also worked with iLight to determine electrical component sizes and how the connections would work. The result is a stunning feature that helped the designer win a DC, IES Illumination Award of Merit, and delighted all on the project.
