Projects in Hohenschwangau, Germany; Ithaca, New York, and Washington, DC, Rise to Top of Entries in 29th Annual Lighting Competition
 
GE Lighting announced three finalists in its 29th annual international GE Edison Award competition today at Light+Building 2012, one of the world’s largest trade fairs for lighting and intelligent buildings, held in Frankfurt, Germany. This year’s finalists represent lighting design innovations for a museum renovation and expansion, a university addition and an institution’s new headquarters building. 
 
“The pool of deserving, forward-thinking applicants in this year’s Edison Awards speaks to the truly remarkable things you can do with lighting,” says GE Lighting President & CEO Maryrose Sylvester. “The submissions we received incorporated broadened use of LEDs and energy-efficient technologies, unique lighting placement, and lighting control strategies that showcased thought-provoking designs from lighting design teams the world over. This year’s finalists truly speak to why the world of lighting has so much to celebrate.”
 
The GE Edison Award competition is open internationally to lighting professionals who creatively employ significant use of GE light sources in a lighting design project completed during the previous year. The finalists for the 29th annual GE Edison Award include:
 
Museum of the Bavarian Kings in Hohenschwangau, Germany
Lighting Design Firm: Licht Kunst Licht AG, Bonn, Germany
 
Located in Germany’s most picturesque Alpine region, the Museum of the Bavarian Kings underwent an extensive renovation.  Planned by Staab Architekten from Berlin, the museum houses a permanent unique exhibition displaying the history of the Wittelsbach dynasty and their Bavarian Kings.   GE halogen lamps and state-of-the-art lighting technologies, including GE Tetra® PowerGrid were employed to reveal the remarkable architecture and highlight the precious exhibits.

Museum of the Bavarian Kings in Hohenschwangau, Germany
Photography credit: Marcus Ebener
 

Cornell University, Milstein Hall, in Ithaca, New York, USA
Lighting Design Firm: Tillotson Design Associates, New York, New York
 
The modern architecture of Cornell University’s Milstein Hall is thoughtfully intertwined with the existing historic buildings.  The new addition includes flexible studio space on the upper plate, a pedestrian plaza and auditorium on the ground level, and a critique space and gallery below grade.  The lighting systems are carefully integrated within the unique ceiling design and construction at each of the three levels.   Fixture and lamp selections, including GE T8 and T5 fluorescent, and ConstantColor CMH®  lamps, complement the building aesthetic and the specific function of each floor.

Cornell University, Milstein Hall, in Ithaca, New York, USA
Photography credit: Iwan Baan
 

United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC
Lighting Design Firm: Lam Partners, Cambridge, Massachusetts
 
Prominently located near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, the headquarters of the United States Institute of Peace houses offices, an international conference center, and a public exhibition and event space.  The wing-like roofs connect the building’s three curving sections, enclosing two atria below.  These multi-layer translucent structures presented the most challenging lighting problem: to light the roofs with no visible sources so they glow softly both inside and outside.  A pervasive lighting theme, featuring GE T5 fluorescent lamps, is present throughout the building.  Light sources are fully concealed or designed to disappear, revealing and animating, but never competing with the architecture.

United States Institute of Peace in Washington, DC
Photography credit: Glenn Heinmiller/Lam Partners
 

All finalists will be invited to an awards ceremony held Tuesday, May 8, 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, the evening before the start of LightFair International.   During this ceremony, designers who have been designated as winners of Awards of Excellence, Awards of Merit, Awards for Environmental Design, the Award for Residential Design and Special Citations will be recognized with personalized plaques acknowledging their lighting design achievements. The identity of the 29th annual GE Edison Award Winner will remain confidential until announced at the awards ceremony. The winner will receive a personalized Steuben crystal trophy and continued publicity throughout the following year. A distinctive plaque will also be presented to the owner of the winning installation.
 
All lighting projects submitted for award consideration must have been completed between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2011.