A new lighting system has brought new life to a beautifully stoic landmark that serves as the principal transportation hub within lower downtown Denver, Colorado for more than 150 years. Union Station, originally the Denver Union Depot built in 1881, is comprised of three total buildings. The facility services bus lines, an expanded light rail as well as housing retail space and the Crawford Hotel.
After accumulating a historic lineup of guests from Queen Marie of Romania to Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the building reached its pinnacle in the 1940s when the station bustled with over 50,000 guests a day. As railway systems took a back seat to alternative transportation forms, the building slowly sunk into disarray and was due for an upgrade. A grand reopening in 2014 reimagined this space into a popular shopping, dining and cultural destination.
With a redesigned public square in the front, the need to update the building’s exterior lighting seemed a natural fit to elevate this iconic fixture within Denver’s vibrant city. Illuminating this restructured granite and terra cotta façade would highlight the architectural assembly and enhance its presence within the community. Luminescent accents can bring notable attention to the building with such an illustrious background for visitors and residents alike.
That’s why Union Station connected with Display Devices, Inc. to assist in a redesign of the facade lighting to complement the internal renovations. The design, engineering and manufacturing company out of Golden, Colorado was contracted to update the fixtures and craft something unique to the architecture.
“To enhance the appeal of Denver Union Station, we needed to update our exterior luminaries to highlight the iconic facade while making the lighting more reliable and consistent,” stated Ed Blair, Area General Manager of Denver Union Station & The Crawford Hotel. “Working with our integrator, Display Devices, has been a pleasure. Their expertise and support made the installation seamless.”
The Versatility of Exterior Illumination
To assist in the creation of lighting this popular cultural destination, Display Devices worked in tandem with Prizm by American Lighting, Denver, CO to design and install a new LED lighting system. With an advanced control system capable of cloud access it is easily operated by the building’s management at any given time. The American Lighting team provided a seamless integration of modern controls and exterior uplighting while honoring the structural integrity of the historic architecture. In accordance with the historic registry designation, there could be no new holes drilled into the building’s facade, so creativity was vital in order to utilize all existing infrastructure when installing the upgraded system.
Prizm reviewed the project needs and highlighted the major product characteristics required for this type of job. The previous lights suffered from quality issues and experienced failures, including an older controller with outdated programming and no remote accessibility. Prizm wanted to elevate the usability with a remotely controlled system and upgrade the buildings lighting with a new product to provide a versatile, energy efficient, high-quality, RGBW fixture that could be globally positioned with a optional accessories, like optical plates, for every scenario while also melding seamlessly with the existing lighting.
Taking into consideration Denver’s dramatic weather variances, along with the remaining requirements, Prizm by American Lighting selected the Sēnik Reflekt RGBW fixture, paired with Pharos Expert Architectural Controls. Scenes can be scheduled or modified wirelessly, allowing this high powered 100 watt flood light to beautify the historic architecture and maintain quality performance.
“Sēnik Reflekt offers the ultimate flexibility and efficiency in facade lighting with it’s modern, scalable approach,” says Prizm’s Project Integrator, Lynn Dee Lindquist Bryce. “The scenes are scheduled and can be changed instantly via the cloud so if there ever is a concern about light pollution in a bustling area like downtown Denver, they can easily and quickly be modified or turned off.”
Ed Blair, Area General Manager of Denver Union Station & The Crawford Hotel, adds, “This update allows us to schedule our local sports team colors and change themes during holidays and events, all while being able to run a 3000K white to match the remaining lights when colors are not being used.”
Image Courtesy of: American Lighting
Enhancing this remarkable exterior with the Sēnik Reflekt was accomplished by individually adjusting the fixture heads with their -90° to 90° adjustability. Each of the 62 fixtures installed to the building, 42 on the front and 20 on the back, can output more than 7,700 lumens. All of the uplighting positions utilized are a single RGBW head with a 12° native beam.
As a result, Display Devices optimized American Lighting’s versatile Sēnik Reflekt fixture to create a meaningful visual impact for this unique landmark building. By showcasing this structure, new life was given to this evolving piece of Denver’s living history. Every holiday or season can be illuminated with colorful accents, and celebratory square events like Neighborhood Night and the Anniversary Gala can be complemented with a unique building color scheme. Spectators can marvel at this structural historic giant while the operations team easily manipulates the setting with wireless controls and cutting-edge technology.
“We are thrilled with our Prizm lights showcasing the architecture of Union Station. Plus, the vibrancy of the colors is stunning, delighting all who visit,” said Blair. “The ability to control the lights over the cloud adds unparalleled convenience and flexibility. Prizm has truly transformed our space and exceeded all expectations.”
Feature Image Courtesy of: American Lighting
