Philips supplies dynamic LED lighting for Madison Square Garden

External color SSL installation on iconic New York sports and entertainment venue can deliver dynamic light shows or simply display the colors of the home team.

The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) has installed a programmable color-capable, LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) system on the outside of the iconic sports venue located on Manhattan in New York City. The Philips Lighting SSL products located in cove channels of the building and around the roof ring can be used to present dynamic light shows and effects on the façade of the venue and can be programmed to promote the home team's colors for an upcoming event.

LED-based lighting has been used for a number of years now to create energy-efficient yet dramatic lighting effects for high-profile structures. For example, the New Orleans Superdome installed LED-based exterior lighting back in 2011. Moreover, Philips has been involved in a number of high-profile projects such as lighting the Miami Tower — featured on our cover back in October 2012.

Still, The Garden in New York is one of the best know sports venues around the globe and MSG sought to ensure that the solid-state lighting installation both matched the stature of the venue and delivered energy efficiency. "As one of the busiest destinations in New York City, we knew we had an opportunity to create a unique public experience," said Joel Fisher, executive vice president of sports properties at MSG Sports. "Philips’ dynamic lighting system helps bring whatever game, concert, or special event is happening inside the building to the public outside, engaging everyone who walks by the arena in the excitement of The Garden."

MSG enlisted the help of lighting professionals with experience in other high-profile projects to ensure the success of The Garden project. For example, Al Borden of The Lighting Practice was a partner in the project and had previous experience lighting New York's Empire State Building. Building management company Jones Lang LaSalle and manufacturer's representative Electric Lighting Agencies were also instrumental in the project.

Ultimately, the MSG project included 1952 fixtures that stretch a distance of more than a mile in aggregate on the building exterior. The solid-state lighting products are interconnected for control, and MSG also wanted to ensure that the networked installation could be used for maintenance and diagnostics. Indeed, the real-time monitoring system implemented can provide maintenance crews with instant notifications for fixture outages.

"We have the industry expertise, partners, and best practices for delivering innovative, turnkey solutions, such as the one at Madison Square Garden, quickly and effectively because we understand that today’s lighting systems go far beyond the light fixture to integrate with other business-critical systems on the network," said Amy Huntington, CEO of Philips Professional Lighting Solutions. "The new LED lighting system gives The Garden a unique new way to engage fans and heighten team pride and support by allowing the community to stay connected with the games and events, even from outside its walls."