My design team at ESI Design worked with Beacon Capital Partners to give the residents of Seattle a bold new look for the 76-story Columbia Center, the city’s tallest building. Upgrades include new crown lighting, dynamic media signage and a series of three animated light sculptures, all of which are continually refreshed with real-time local weather data.

Another striking feature of the property’s new identity is the animated multi-color LED lighting on the crowns of the three towers. The lights can be programmed from a user-friendly CMS to celebrate local and national events, including being able to celebrate a Seahawks goal visible to fans at nearby Century Field. The crowns animate on the hour to serve as a timepiece for the city, and a default color changes each month according to the seasons. The building sends a tweet every morning letting the community know what it is celebrating that day.

New exterior signage features LED strips that mirror the crown’s animations at street level. Inside the building, three different light sculptures, or “Sky Lights,” change color and pattern based on the weather and time of day. Nearby tablets decode the sculptures’ colors and animations.

Role

Interaction Design Lead

Press