LET THERE BE LIGHT! National Grid’s Historic Syracuse Office Building Introduces New Exterior Lighting System

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — With a flip of a switch, National Grid’s historic Downtown Syracuse office building was illuminated with brilliant light on Tuesday for the first time in more than a year, marking the completion of the first phase of exterior upgrades and repairs to the company’s landmark building on Erie Boulevard West.

“Our Downtown Syracuse building is more than an office,” said Alberto Bianchetti, regional director of customer and external affairs. “It’s a point of civic pride for people in this community and a part of our region’s history and character, as one of our nation’s finest representations of art deco design.”

Representatives of Syracuse City Hall, Onondaga County, Downtown Syracuse businesses and local historic preservation entities joined National Grid officials to throw the switch, turning on the building’s more than 600 LED light fixtures at 5:41 p.m. After glowing white, the building faded into National Grid’s identifying colors before scrolling through a series of pre-programmed lighting schemes that will be used to celebrate holidays such as Independence Day and Christmas, celebrate local institutions including Syracuse University and Le Moyne College, and commemorate solemn events like the September 11th attacks and Pan Am 103 bombing.

The lighting upgrades were part of a multi-phase exterior renovation of the building that will continue through 2025. The new lighting system can display millions of colors, as well as add motion and fading to lighting schemes. And, in keeping with National Grid’s efforts to encourage smart energy use, the lighting system utilizes energy-efficient LED fixtures.

Bianchetti added: “National Grid has a vision of stewardship for the building, and we combined that with our energy expertise. We then worked with a number of industry experts -- many who are local and regional -- to support us in preserving the historic details of this landmark. We are pleased to celebrate the relighting with our Central New York community.”

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LightSpek, an architectural and commercial lighting and control company, designed the new lighting and control system; Connors-Haas of Ontario, N.Y. was general contractor on the project; JLL managed the project in cooperation with National Grid’s facilities department; Nelson Associates Architectural Engineers of Clinton, N.Y. provided electrical design services to the project; O’Connell Electric Co. of Syracuse worked on the electrical circuitry; Jerome R. Durr Studio in Syracuse repaired glass panels on the façade; and Integrated Marketing Services in Liverpool provided additional support to the project.

The historic Art Deco building on Erie Boulevard West was built in 1932 as the main office of the Niagara Hudson Power Company – a predecessor of Niagara Mohawk and, later, National Grid. Designed by the late Melvin King of Syracuse with consulting architects Bley & Lyman from Buffalo, the building is adorned with a 28-foot winged stainless-steel sculpture called “The Spirit of Light,” representing the spread of electricity during that era. The building is part of the National Registry of Historic Places.

Exterior lighting on the building was one of its original features, but its use was discontinued in 1939 for public safety during World War II as part of community blackouts. A renovation completed in 2000 restored the lights, adding colors to the lighting capabilities.