As dark as 2020 has been for the lighting world, it could have been even darker. This was shaping up to be the first 9/11 memorial anniversary without New York City’s iconic 9/11 Tribute in Light — the art installation of two light beams piercing the night sky representing the former Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Initially canceled because of the pandemic, an ensuing uproar across social media helped restore the project, with an assist from LD Cosmo Wilson, Michael Ahern Production Services (MAPS) and, as Wilson reports, “no shortage of volunteers — they had IATSE Local One guys, IBEW, security and EMTs to make sure we were all healthy.” In the end, the temporary installation of 88 lighting fixtures at 7000 watts each, divided in two adjacent squares to create the two columns of light, lit up the sky once again from 9/11’s ground zero. And there’s now talk of making the temporary installation permanent, with lighting held in below-ground storage space, ready to be raised annually on Sept. 11.
Debi Moen, from “Designer Watch,” Oct. 2020, page 58
