NYC Icons: Bryant Park and The New York Public Library

About the Event

For its 100th birthday, the New York Public Library gave itself a major exterior renovation which entailed cleaning the marble exterior and restoring all architectural and sculptural marble details. To honor that effort, the library decided to light the new exterior. Claude Engel set out to light as much of the façade from as few positions possible. He also wanted the lights to be as invisible as possible. This required that lights be integrated into existing light poles along 5th Avenue, 40th Street and 42nd Street, necessitating permission from four separate neighborhood authorities. Because a minimum of lighting positions were used, the focusing was complicated. Mr. Engel had the honor of lighting the two lions, Patience & Fortitude, who had never been lighted before, except for in the movies.