Client: Kite Realty

Location: White Plains, NY, United States

Completion date: 2016

Project Team

Artist

Derek Wang

LIGHTBAND STUDIO

Public Art Agent

ArtsWestchester

Client

Kite Realty

Overview

LIFT is a dynamic glass and light sculpture that is suspended in a 70 foot tall open air atrium at the City Center shopping center in White Plains, NY. Fused glass rod cloud formations are suspended from the ceiling and are lit by a Color Kinetics LED lighting system. The system was programmed to have different lighting schemes as the day shifts from sunset to day to sunrise and to night.

Goals

The commission was organized by ArtsWestchester, a private arts council that focuses on funding art projects for cultural institutions in Westchester County, New York. Kite Realty had recently acquired the City Center shopping center and planned to renovate the entire space. The atrium, in particular was to be modernized and a skylight was added to allow for greater natural light in the space. A request for proposal was put out for artworks to be suspended from the ceiling area below the skylight that would enhance the opened up atrium space. LIGHTBAND STUDIO proposed and won the call with a lightweight sculpture design that shifts its appearance as visitors move through the space and as the time of day changes.

Process

LIGHTBAND STUDIO worked closely with ArtsWestchester, the organizer of the requests for proposals, and Kite Realty, the developer, to come up with a design that would look sophisticated, modern, and engaging to the public. The artwork would of course have to compliment the renovation work to the atrium as well. The timeline was very aggressive, and LIGHTBAND worked closely with Kite Realty and their general contractor to coordinate the installation and configuration of the artwork. The sculpture had to be hung from a custom built grid that was mounted in the ceiling, and special spider lifts had to be rented for installation due to installation floor space constraints. LIGHTBAND was scheduled to finish up the installation and configuration a few weeks before the grand opening and a careful balancing act was executed to work with the contractors, electricians, and painters in order to ensure that everyone had time and space to do their work.

Additional Information

LIFT has been very warmly received by the public and the City of White Plains. We take delight in visiting the space and watch shoppers take a moment to stop what they're doing to engage with a sculpture that we have been so proud to have designed, created and installed.