Alfred R. Borden

The Lighting Practice / Principal

Alfred Borden is a Principal and the founder of The Lighting Practice. With a background in theater lighting for a variety of theater groups, dance troupes, and rock bands, Al has more than 30 years of experience in architectural lighting design. He founded The Lighting Practice’s Philadelphia office in 1989 to create a place where like-minded designers could work in a collaborative environment dedicated to design excellence and client service.

Al’s background in theatrical lighting taught him the importance of story and the powerful role light can play in how individuals experience an architectural space. He has taken on the major task of relighting many iconic buildings and landmarks, including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Philadelphia City Hall, Thomas Edison Memorial, and Trinity Centre. He was part of the project team that completely replaced all vertical circulation within the Statue of Liberty’s stone pedestal and created life-safety egress paths across the pedestal’s terreplein and through the walls of Fort Wood.

In 2016, he designed the lighting system for the conversion of the historically landmarked Temple-Tifereth Israel into Case Western Reserve University’s Milton and Tamar Maltz Performing Arts Center. When the Empire State Building’s tower lighting became outdated, Al was tasked with changing the existing metal halide lighting system to color-changing LED.

Al’s spearheaded the firm’s expansion to New York in 2018, founding The Lighting Practice’s New York office and providing a second home base for local and national projects.

In 2019, Alfred Borden received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from LIT Design Awards.

Past Jury