Silent Lights

Urban Matter Inc.

Funding Received: 2013
Brooklyn, NY
$33,000
Funding Period: 1 year and 5 months
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October 18, 2013

Silent Lights – Section of installation. Drawing by 52 Studios.

Update
As we continued working towards installing Silent Lights, we visited the new site on Navy Street and Park Avenue on several occasions to meet potential contractors. Finding a contractor turned out to be a daunting task to say the least. The nature of this job doesn’t really fall into a “common category.” Most construction and electrical firms do not have the safety certifications for the job, and the few that we found that do usually deal with much larger commissions. We eventually chose Hellman Electric; they will be able to harness power from the crosswalk power pole across the street and bring it down to the first gate to power the whole installation. 

Recent Wins
Design Trust for the Public Space asked us to be part of their project “Under the Elevated.” We are honored to participate in their initiative and excited about the opportunity to get to know their current projects within the city.

Insight
When we changed sites last month, we were forced to re-think some aspects of our project, such as how to evaluate the new surrounding area and the people who live nearby or pass through on their commutes. This time around we also have to focus on the technical aspects of building under a highway. We learned that for our installation to be illuminated 24 hours a day, we’ll have to tap into a power pole that won’t have a photocromatic sensor. This discovery eliminates using the nearest light pole as a power source. Once again, we are continuously surprised by the amount of information Silent Lights is providing us on a daily basis and by how much we get to learn from the process.