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Butterfly Rest Stop

Prize(s) Winners in Conceptual Lighting installation

Lighting Design/Product Company Lang Lighting Design, Inc.

Lead Designers Andy Lang

Architecture Company Janet Echelman - Artist

Client Hall Group

Photo Credits Andy Lang

Completion Date August 24, 2024

Project Location Frisco, Texas USA

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Entry Description

In the midst of a large project where 3 buildings and a performance park were being designed/built at the same time, a 5th one came along being a large, suspended art netting. The client felt the design of the already ongoing park and the techniques already determined would have to be sensitively adjusted to accommodate the art installation and a well thought through lighting solution. The client is a part of the art culture in the city, and the park would become a very important public amenity which would eventually be all donated to the city. A major part of the art installation was the 6 tilting large, tapered columns of varying heights. They were a piece of artwork on their own and we were very anxious about how the team would feel by suggesting the lighting installation might be attached to the columns. Many past lighting solutions from this artist were accomplished by building mounted or column mounted fixtures. Many of those light sources were projected from long distances. We were concerned about glare in park visitor's eyes as well as the high-rise residential building tenants adjacent to the park. Column mounted fixtures were approved and the photometric studies started for months amidst getting the struct mounting details for the fixtures and all necessary access panel sizes and locations. Everything affected the structural integrity of the columns

Sustainability Approach

The artist has a goal of connecting humans along with nature in the public sphere. Lighting just took that concept to another level. 24 seven color DMX programmable fixture carefully positioned and aimed has become a public sensation and draw to this newly opened public performance park. The completed project is a 0.082 watts per square foot solution which is very efficient. The final lighting solution is a blending and transitioning between 22 lighting scenes. The suspended sculptural netting's curves and up and down shapes and colors attempt to replicate how a butterfly sees a collection of flowers much differently than a human does. Upward illumination contributed to low glare and visual enjoyment.