The Empire State Building lights got an upgrade. The iconic New York City skyscraper now has LED lights which dance as they are synchronized with music. Some were able to watch a little debut of the skyscraper light show which was in tune to songs by Alicia Keys.
The new LED system has extensive capabilities.
"The state-of-the-art dynamic lighting system from PCK is unique to ESB and allows customized light capabilities from a palette of over 16 million colors in limitless combinations along with effects previously not possible such as ripples, cross-fades, sparkles, chasers, sweeps, strobes and bursts. In addition to greater control and management of the lighting, the new computerized system will deliver superior light and vibrancy levels in real-time, unlike the previous floodlights," Phil O'Donnell, of Burlington, Mass.-based Philips Color Kinetics, which created the system, said in a release.
The new system is a huge upgrade from the old lights which only came in 10 colors.
Thousands of people around the area got to catch a glimpse of the show on Monday night. Many watched from the streets and building windows and many filmed the new spectacle. Viewers could tune into one of four radio stations to listen to the music that was synchronized with the light show. The songs included Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind," which was appropriate for the occasion, and her new song "Girl on Fire."
Anthony Malkin, whose family supervises the Empire State Building, is very excited for the new addition. He gave a little bit more information about the new light show in a release.
"The Empire State Building's lights are the international icon of the New York City skyline. We use our tower lights to partner with select charities, organizations, and events around the world," Malkin said in a release. "'Philips Color Kinetics' new LED lights were installed over the summer and have been set at the color and intensity of the incandescent lights they replaced. As of tonight, our lights' full range and intensity will be brought to life, forever changing the New York skyline. We wanted to celebrate with and thank New York City and our global audience with a specially choreographed, custom light show."
The show was actually first tested on early Thanksgiving morning. Malkin wanted to try out the lights when no one was watching so that he could make sure the debut show would take off without a hitch.The new light system is just one part of project to make the 81-year-old building more modern. The half a billion-dollar project includes making the building more energy efficient or "green." The new light system will cut energy use by more than half.
To see a video of the Empire State Building LED light show, watch below:
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