Watts Up Troy

Watts Up Troy! Let the Light Shine On!

By Don Rittner

Each time Carl Erickson visits Europe, he is struck by how conscious Europeans are about their history and architecture and how they promote it -- they throw some light on the subject! In many European cities they selectively light certain features of historic buildings, so the richness of the architecture is enhanced and displayed for all to see. Tourists are awed by the night views of Napolean’s Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Acropolis in Athens, or Germany’s Castle of Heidelberg. Considering tourism is a huge economic revenue producer for Europe, it’s a very bright idea!

While coming back from a recent visit to Spain, Erickson imagined Troy’s streetscapes lit up in the same fashion. Very few American cities have the diversity of 19^th century historic architecture that is found in downtown Troy. Why not light it up and show it off, he thought. Erickson is no stranger to innovative design since he spent 25 years as an industrial designer responsible for many of the exhibits in the New York State Museum. A Troy native, he also has personally renovated six buildings in the city.

Erickson presented his idea to Lynn Kopka, a project analyst with the city of Troy who enthusiastically brought it to the attention of Mayor Mark Pattison. The Mayor secured funding for a study of the project, called Watts Up! RPI’s Lighting Research Center, world renowned for their work in this area, is doing the design work-up for the project.

What a great idea! This is not something where you simply place spotlights on the ground and wash a building with light. It’s much more exciting than that. Imagine walking down the street at night and seeing a particularly stylish cornice on a building stand out, or a cast iron balcony protruding from a second floor subtly lit, or a row of buildings that project a romantic shadow down to the street. This is a more scientific use of lighting as artistic interpretation, and involves a good deal of psychology and mood enhancing. Anyone can point a spotlight. Bringing out the hidden qualities of a building or streetscape is an art. A side benefit of this project will be an added sense of security since the reflective light will certainly brighten up the whole area.

According to Ms. Kopka, 40 buildings were originally selected, but it has been scaled back to 18 buildings and 2 bridges. Certainly more can be added as the project grows, she says.

Some of the buildings scheduled for lighting include the Hall (Rice) Building now being renovated, Troy Savings Bank. The Gurley and Frear Buildings, Troy Public Library, Monument Square, and the Congress and Green Island bridges, to name a few. If you want to get a sense of it, the First Baptist Church on Third Street, next to Barker Park, is already lighting up their steeple! I nominate the gargoyles on the old Proctor’s Theater on Fourth Street.

The cost of lighting the buildings is being researched, and part of the cost will be born by the owners of the buildings. Other funding is being sought according to Ms.Kopka. The city has partnered with local community organizations, colleges, and businesses. A mock up or test site will occur in a few months. A good target date according to Erickson would be in time for the next Victorian Stroll.

Perhaps the real success of the project, according to Ms. Kopka will be the sense that by highlighting our architectural heritage, we will not loose it. "Troy is a city of historically significant buildings and you don’t want to loose sense of that," she points out. "Troy is a heritage destination, and we need to build on that. As more people work here during the day you want them to feel welcome at night too." Finally, Carl Erickson adds, "So many people come to Troy and tell us we have such wonderful buildings. By showing off our architectural jewels of the 19^th century, they will become an asset and help boost the economic vitality of Troy in the next century."

So it’s quite possible that in a few months, when you drive down I-787 at night and look east, those patches of light shining like galaxies in the cosmos will actually be reflections of the stars of Troy — its rich architectural heritage.

Got history? Send email to Don at drittner@aol.com or P. O. Box 50216, Albany, NY 12205. Don is the author of Images of America — Troy and is president of The Learning Factory in Albany.