Commercial Architecture May 2017 - 44

PROJECT

lighting
metal panels transition from flat to dimensional panels, giving the Connector's façade a distinctive outer
surface texture. A metal "knife-edged eyebrow" panel
caps the façade. The panel slopes to meet metal curtainwall panels, and a notably architectural, large-scale
upper-level window, that features distinctive internal
bracing.
Saul Acosta, associate principal at KGM Architectural Lighting, El Segundo, CA, sought to illuminate
the exterior of the south façade. He wanted to use
lighting that would interact with the architecture, illuminate the diamond-shaped exterior surfaces and, as a
result, create a magical focal point.
Working closely with Acosta, Mark Duff, specification sales at Prudential Lighting Products, Los Angeles
observed, "Orgatech Lighting's (Orange, CA) Architura has been very popular for exterior façade lighting
with designers at KGM over recent years, because of its
clean, contemporary shape and the wide variety of
mounting options and bracket devices available.
"Several customized mounting brackets were required to position Architura [fixtures] at the proper
setback and location on the façade so that the entire
exterior would have a uniform lighting effect. Orgatech's design team was able to design and develop these
custom mounting brackets before the fixtures went
into production."
With KGM's design approach in mind, Acosta
chose to use more than 982 linear ft. of Architura fixtures. Having used Architura LED products in the
past, Acosta understood that this high-performance,

Above. Viewed from the covered walkway, the Connector building exterior is washed by the ribbons of LED fixtures.

energy efficient, virtually maintenance-free fixture
would be well suited for illuminating the Connector's
Left. Push-fit tool-less interconnecting hubs permit easy access
for wire-through power, allowing
each interconnected fixture to be
independently rotated while maintaining a weatherproof seal.

south façade.
The small-profile, contemporary linear design enables Architura to easily blend in with the architecture,
with its light focused forward and upward, providing
indirect, even wall-washing effects.
Another feature that worked well in this project was
simplified row mounting with Orgatech's "push fit,"
tool-less interconnecting hubs. Hub brackets permit
easy access for wire-through power, allowing each interconnected fixture to be independently rotated while
maintaining a weatherproof seal.
At night these fixtures produce continuous ribbons
of light. They seamlessly wrap around the eyebrow of
the Connector's metal-panel curtainwall.
Architectura also wraps around the bottom of the
curtainwall, starting at the intersection of the metal
and glass panels, wall-washing the entire length of the
Connector to its junction with the Neiman Marcus
department store.
Conversely, in daylight Architura LED mounting
arms and extrusions provide architectural design elements for the outside of the Connector building.
Whether on or off, this high-design LED building- pe-

COMMERCI A L A RCHI T EC T URE

MAY 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture May 2017