A popular destination for locals and tourists alike, Philadelphia’s famous “Avenue of the Arts” is home to some of the best theatres, hotels, and restaurants that the city has to offer. Located along the Avenue, is Southstar Lofts, a mixed-use property with 85 high-end apartments and a street level commercial space.
Built by developers, Dranoff Properties, Southstar Lofts embodies the vibrant lifestyle of the Avenue, and is home to one of the city's latest works of public art, LightPlay.
Designed by well-known public art specialists, Mags Harries and Lajos Heder, LightPlay was commissioned by the developer as part of the city’s Percent for Art Program, a longstanding initiative to encourage and support public art projects in the area.
For the design, the developer wanted an art installation that represented the city, “The Avenue of the Arts is one of Philadelphia’s liveliest, most flourishing neighborhoods, and we were looking for a work of art that would showcase the streets’ vibrancy, and compliment the aesthetics of Southstar Lofts” explains Dranoff.
LightPlay effortlessly achieves this, combining vibrant dichroic glass together with clean lines and artful simplicity. It has two components: dichroic glass panels installed vertically up the face of the building and a dichroic glass canopy covering the stairway to the subway station below.
Goldray’s dichroic laminated glass was ideal for this installation, as it is exhibits a brilliant color shift based on the viewing angle, adding dimension and creating the feel of movement.
Throughout the day, the sun’s rays create a stunning array of colors that are cast into the surrounding environment - across the building, onto the sidewalk, and even onto passersby.
“The orientation of the facade facing directly west makes it remain in full shadow until mid-day and then in full sun in the afternoon…working with light and shadow insures that the piece will be constantly changing, surprising and remain fresh,” explains Lajos Heder.
At night, LightPlay takes on a new look, as solar powered LEDs reflect onto the dichroic glass, for a completely different lighting and color effect.
Project Details
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Application: Exterior Glazing, Dichroic Glass, Public Art, Façade
- Market/Industry: Residential
- Type of Glass: Dichroic Laminated Glass
Team
- Architect: JKRP Architects
- Glazing Contractor: Reilly Glazing Inc.
- Artist: Harries/Heder Collaborative Inc.
- Sales Rep: Danielle Smith - Goldray Glass