Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center
Troy, New York/USA

Lighting for the state-of-the-art Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC) is inspired by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s spirit of technological innovation. From the street, the wooden hull of a 1,200-seat concert hall – the centerpiece of the 220,000 square foot complex – elegantly glows behind the glass façade. OVI advised on a satin wood finish that would minimize reflected glare, preparing large-scale mockups to verify the hull’s color and sheen under the proposed illumination.

Inside the main concert hall, luminaires are skillfully deployed as technical extensions of the architectural language. Clamp-mounted lights, precisely positioned within a uniquely radial patterned stretched-fabric ceiling, provide ambient lighting for the stage, seating, and balcony areas. Architecturally-integrated halogen downlights at the balconies and first-of-its-kind LED uplights accent sculpted acoustic wall panels.

All lighting solutions integrate with the architecture and fully coordinate with stringent acoustic requirements, creating an iconic showcase of intertwined technological and artistic expression.

Client: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Design Architect: GRIMSHAW
Photos: Randall Perry (1, 2, 7, 8), Paúl Rivera (4),
Peter Aaron (5, 6)
Graphics: OVI