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Illuminating History:
Three Commemorative Structures Explore Outdoor Lighting Solutions
Source: ARCHITECT LIGHTING MAGAZINE
Publication date: April 20, 2008
By Jen Bickford
Washington, D.C., our Nation's Capital, plays host to an impressive lineup of monuments and
memorials that celebrate our country's history and recognize major milestones. While most people
visit these landmarks during the day, the structures also are viewed at night as tourists
andresidents alike see them illuminated from afar, the handiwork of the lighting designers behind
each project whose task it was to give each structure a presence at night.
Lighting designers face numerous challenges in designing for exterior conditions: the dreaded
elements such as wind and water, wildlife (bugs in particular), along with safety and securityissues.
In addition, multiple voices are involved in the design and construction of monuments an
memorials—including but not limited to fine arts commissions, monument committees, political
appointees for the project, and the National Park Service—who can all weigh in on the design and
maintenance of these built outdoor objects and spaces, further affecting the end result.
The lighting schemes for three commemorative structures in the Washington, D.C., area—the
National World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the U.S. Air Force Memorial—each
had a specific set of challenges and requirements. The result is a trio of unique design solutions that
respond to the individual sites and programs for each structure.
National World War II Memorial
Located on a Congressionally approved site on the National Mall—the Rainbow Pool at the east end
of the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument—the National
World War II Memorial was erected in memory of the 16 million Americans who fought and served in
World War II. Composed of three main features—curving rampart walls, the Rainbow Pool fountain,
and a "Freedom Wall" with its own reflecting pool—the memorial spans more than 7 acres.
The lighting scheme—subdued, discreet and controlled—aimed to echo the memorial's sentiment:
Darkness of global conflict and alight of freedom. "We wanted to reveal form in a different way and
create simple, elegant lines," explains Barbara Horton of New York City-based Horton Lees Brogden
Lighting Design, the firm responsible for the memorial's lighting. The client, the American Battles
Monument Commission, wanted the memorial to evoke a warm feeling and as a result insisted on
the use of incandescent sources. To keep light levels low and provide necessary control and
dimming, low-voltage PAR36 and AR111 lamps were selected to obtain the desired effects. To
provide a sense of animation at night, the Rainbow Pool is illuminated with PAR56 lamps with narrow
beam spreads precisely aligned to follow the individual water arcs, of which the center ones spray
up to 90 feet. Colored filters often are added for special events.
The Freedom Wall emerges from a reflecting pool with 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100
American lives lost during the war. PAR38 lamps are used to enhance the golden color and create
an iconic symbol of remembrance. The granite of the colonnade walls is illuminated from across the
walking path with double-headed AR111 custom precision angled louvered luminaires. Respectful of
the adjacent monuments, the lighting scheme was kept simple, as "a kind, gentle solution to
balance our memorial with the others," Horton says. With very low light-levels, less than 1
footcandle on average, the overall effect is one of a soft glow as the below-grade plaza appears to
emerge out of the ground.
Three Commemorative Structures Explore Outdoor Lighting Solutions
Source: ARCHITECT LIGHTING MAGAZINE
Publication date: April 20, 2008
By Jen Bickford
Washington, D.C., our Nation's Capital, plays host to an impressive lineup of monuments and
memorials that celebrate our country's history and recognize major milestones. While most people
visit these landmarks during the day, the structures also are viewed at night as tourists
andresidents alike see them illuminated from afar, the handiwork of the lighting designers behind
each project whose task it was to give each structure a presence at night.
Lighting designers face numerous challenges in designing for exterior conditions: the dreaded
elements such as wind and water, wildlife (bugs in particular), along with safety and securityissues.
In addition, multiple voices are involved in the design and construction of monuments an
memorials—including but not limited to fine arts commissions, monument committees, political
appointees for the project, and the National Park Service—who can all weigh in on the design and
maintenance of these built outdoor objects and spaces, further affecting the end result.
The lighting schemes for three commemorative structures in the Washington, D.C., area—the
National World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the U.S. Air Force Memorial—each
had a specific set of challenges and requirements. The result is a trio of unique design solutions that
respond to the individual sites and programs for each structure.
National World War II Memorial
Located on a Congressionally approved site on the National Mall—the Rainbow Pool at the east end
of the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument—the National
World War II Memorial was erected in memory of the 16 million Americans who fought and served in
World War II. Composed of three main features—curving rampart walls, the Rainbow Pool fountain,
and a "Freedom Wall" with its own reflecting pool—the memorial spans more than 7 acres.
The lighting scheme—subdued, discreet and controlled—aimed to echo the memorial's sentiment:
Darkness of global conflict and alight of freedom. "We wanted to reveal form in a different way and
create simple, elegant lines," explains Barbara Horton of New York City-based Horton Lees Brogden
Lighting Design, the firm responsible for the memorial's lighting. The client, the American Battles
Monument Commission, wanted the memorial to evoke a warm feeling and as a result insisted on
the use of incandescent sources. To keep light levels low and provide necessary control and
dimming, low-voltage PAR36 and AR111 lamps were selected to obtain the desired effects. To
provide a sense of animation at night, the Rainbow Pool is illuminated with PAR56 lamps with narrow
beam spreads precisely aligned to follow the individual water arcs, of which the center ones spray
up to 90 feet. Colored filters often are added for special events.
The Freedom Wall emerges from a reflecting pool with 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100
American lives lost during the war. PAR38 lamps are used to enhance the golden color and create
an iconic symbol of remembrance. The granite of the colonnade walls is illuminated from across the
walking path with double-headed AR111 custom precision angled louvered luminaires. Respectful of
the adjacent monuments, the lighting scheme was kept simple, as "a kind, gentle solution to
balance our memorial with the others," Horton says. With very low light-levels, less than 1
footcandle on average, the overall effect is one of a soft glow as the below-grade plaza appears to
emerge out of the ground.
Photos: Brett Drury
The National World War II Memorial (top) sits on the
National Mall and features 56 granite pillars (middle),
one for each state and territory from that period and
the District of Columbia. The Freedom Wall (bottom)
emerges from the memorial's reflecting pool and
features 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100
American lives lost during WWII.
The National World War II Memorial (top) sits on the
National Mall and features 56 granite pillars (middle),
one for each state and territory from that period and
the District of Columbia. The Freedom Wall (bottom)
emerges from the memorial's reflecting pool and
features 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100
American lives lost during WWII.
Photo: Thomas Mayer
The U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia
consists of three stainless steel spires, each with a
different arc and heights. The top third of each spire
has an average of 15 footcandles, a requirement of
the Federal Aviation Administration.
The U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Virginia
consists of three stainless steel spires, each with a
different arc and heights. The top third of each spire
has an average of 15 footcandles, a requirement of
the Federal Aviation Administration.
U.S. Air Force Memorial
Overlooking the Pentagon from high ground across the Potomac River sits a new structure to
celebrate years of service from the Air Force. Designed by architects Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and
completed in 2007, this memorial is composed of three stainless-steel spires that arc gracefully into
the sky. Reminiscent of the precision "bomb burst" maneuver performed by pilots in flight, each spire
has a different height and arc, providing a dynamically different view from every angle.
New York City lighting design firm Office for Visual Interaction (OVI), the lighting consultants
responsible for the illumination scheme, wanted to enhance the architectural qualities of the memorial
and give it the sense that the light emerged from within. As with the Washington Monument, the goal
was to give the three sculpted forms shape and dimension at night, not to flatten them. To reveal the
shape, each side of the structure must appear to have a different level of brightness—similar to how
the sun would model the form during the day.
Three arcing, triangulated forms made of shiny stainless steel, each with a different shape in both plan
and elevation, were difficult structures to illuminate. Additionally, because of the height of the piece,
270 feet at the tallest point, with the other two peaks at 231 feet and 201 feet, respectively, principals
Enrique Peiniger and Jean Sundin were required to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
requirements for visibility. This would have required red beacon lights at the midpoint and peak of each
arc. But rather than obscure the monument's sculptural form, OVI researched how tall steeples are
illuminated and developed a design in which the top third of each spire maintains an average of 15
footcandles as required by the FAA, thus eliminating the need for the red beacons.
Using pole-mounted fixtures with 4000K 250W metal halide sources hidden behind granite inscription
walls on either side of the memorial, OVI was able to precisely focus more than 25 fixtures with very
narrow (7 degree to 9 degree) beam spreads onto the top third of each spire using a custom-designed
laser aiming tool. Each fixture had to compensate for the sway of the spire, up to 18 inches in any
direction. Careful planning of beam angles reduced the amount of glare off the stainless steel.
Illuminating the top and bottom.
Overlooking the Pentagon from high ground across the Potomac River sits a new structure to
celebrate years of service from the Air Force. Designed by architects Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and
completed in 2007, this memorial is composed of three stainless-steel spires that arc gracefully into
the sky. Reminiscent of the precision "bomb burst" maneuver performed by pilots in flight, each spire
has a different height and arc, providing a dynamically different view from every angle.
New York City lighting design firm Office for Visual Interaction (OVI), the lighting consultants
responsible for the illumination scheme, wanted to enhance the architectural qualities of the memorial
and give it the sense that the light emerged from within. As with the Washington Monument, the goal
was to give the three sculpted forms shape and dimension at night, not to flatten them. To reveal the
shape, each side of the structure must appear to have a different level of brightness—similar to how
the sun would model the form during the day.
Three arcing, triangulated forms made of shiny stainless steel, each with a different shape in both plan
and elevation, were difficult structures to illuminate. Additionally, because of the height of the piece,
270 feet at the tallest point, with the other two peaks at 231 feet and 201 feet, respectively, principals
Enrique Peiniger and Jean Sundin were required to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
requirements for visibility. This would have required red beacon lights at the midpoint and peak of each
arc. But rather than obscure the monument's sculptural form, OVI researched how tall steeples are
illuminated and developed a design in which the top third of each spire maintains an average of 15
footcandles as required by the FAA, thus eliminating the need for the red beacons.
Using pole-mounted fixtures with 4000K 250W metal halide sources hidden behind granite inscription
walls on either side of the memorial, OVI was able to precisely focus more than 25 fixtures with very
narrow (7 degree to 9 degree) beam spreads onto the top third of each spire using a custom-designed
laser aiming tool. Each fixture had to compensate for the sway of the spire, up to 18 inches in any
direction. Careful planning of beam angles reduced the amount of glare off the stainless steel.
Illuminating the top and bottom.
U.S. Air Force Memorial
Overlooking the Pentagon from high ground across the
Potomac River sits a new structure to celebrate years of
service from the Air Force. Designed by architects Pei Cobb
Freed & Partners and completed in 2007, this memorial is
composed of three stainless-steel spires that arc gracefully
into the sky. Reminiscent of the precision "bomb burst"
maneuver performed by pilots in flight, each spire has a
different height and arc, providing a dynamically different view
from every angle.
New York City lighting design firm Office for Visual Interaction
(OVI), the lighting consultants responsible for the illumination
scheme, wanted to enhance the architectural qualities of the
memorial and give it the sense that the light emerged from
within. As with the Washington Monument, the goal was to give
the three sculpted forms shape and dimension at night, not to
flatten them. To reveal the shape, each side of the structure
must appear to have a different level of brightness—similar to
how the sun would model the form during the day.
Three arcing, triangulated forms made of shiny stainless steel,
each with a different shape in both plan and elevation, were
difficult structures to illuminate. Additionally, because of the
height of the piece, 270 feet at the tallest point, with the other
two peaks at 231 feet and 201 feet, respectively, principals
Enrique Peiniger and Jean Sundin were required to meet
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for
visibility. This would have required red beacon lights at the
midpoint and peak of each arc. But rather than obscure the
monument's sculptural form, OVI researched how tall steeples
are illuminated and developed a design in which the top third of
each spire maintains an average of 15 footcandles as required
by the FAA, thus eliminating the need for the red beacons.
Overlooking the Pentagon from high ground across the
Potomac River sits a new structure to celebrate years of
service from the Air Force. Designed by architects Pei Cobb
Freed & Partners and completed in 2007, this memorial is
composed of three stainless-steel spires that arc gracefully
into the sky. Reminiscent of the precision "bomb burst"
maneuver performed by pilots in flight, each spire has a
different height and arc, providing a dynamically different view
from every angle.
New York City lighting design firm Office for Visual Interaction
(OVI), the lighting consultants responsible for the illumination
scheme, wanted to enhance the architectural qualities of the
memorial and give it the sense that the light emerged from
within. As with the Washington Monument, the goal was to give
the three sculpted forms shape and dimension at night, not to
flatten them. To reveal the shape, each side of the structure
must appear to have a different level of brightness—similar to
how the sun would model the form during the day.
Three arcing, triangulated forms made of shiny stainless steel,
each with a different shape in both plan and elevation, were
difficult structures to illuminate. Additionally, because of the
height of the piece, 270 feet at the tallest point, with the other
two peaks at 231 feet and 201 feet, respectively, principals
Enrique Peiniger and Jean Sundin were required to meet
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for
visibility. This would have required red beacon lights at the
midpoint and peak of each arc. But rather than obscure the
monument's sculptural form, OVI researched how tall steeples
are illuminated and developed a design in which the top third of
each spire maintains an average of 15 footcandles as required
by the FAA, thus eliminating the need for the red beacons.
Photos: Mike Morgan
The 555-foot-tall Washington Monument (top) was relit in 2005 as part of a security upgrade to
the site following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Fifty flags surround the base of the
monument (middle), representing the 50 states. On each of the monument's four sides, a row
of 17 in-grade 150W metal halide fixtures uplight the first 150 feet of the structure (bottom).
The 555-foot-tall Washington Monument (top) was relit in 2005 as part of a security upgrade to
the site following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Fifty flags surround the base of the
monument (middle), representing the 50 states. On each of the monument's four sides, a row
of 17 in-grade 150W metal halide fixtures uplight the first 150 feet of the structure (bottom).