The Lighting Practice is delighted to announce that the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia will honor The Rail Park with a 2020 Grand Jury Award. Presented at the Preservation Achievement Awards on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, the award celebrates the highest level of achievement in historic preservation.
The Rail Park was formerly a pedestrian and freight train-line that had remained unused for decades. Center City District of Philadelphia and neighborhood leaders with Studio Bryan Hanes spearheaded a plan to re-imagine the viaduct as a public park, using the original materials of the railway while providing a safe green space for the community. The Lighting Practice was involved in designing the general lighting for the entries, gathering spaces, seating, and stairs into the park. TLP also designed the accent lighting of the hardscape/landscape in the public areas as well as accent lighting for the underpasses located at 12th and 13th Streets and Callowhill.
TLP’s design integrates lighting into the landscape and provides safety and beauty without disrupting evening views of the city. Low-level fixtures, placed throughout the plantings, create a warm glow. Decorative pole lights mimic moonlight through the trees. Underpasses draw visitor attention with artistic, color-changing light installations. TLP is proud to be a part of this project that connects neighborhoods, residents, and commuters in the Philadelphia community.
“Innovative thinking and creative design solutions changed the Rail Park site from an eyesore into an asset,” said Alfred Borden, Principal at The Lighting Practice, who was part of the design team. “TLP is proud to have participated in that process.”
Established in 1996, the Preservation Alliance promotes the appreciation, protection, and appropriate use of Philadelphia’s historic buildings, communities, and landscapes. Each year, the Preservation Alliance presents the Preservation Achievement Awards to recognize projects in the Philadelphia region that exemplify outstanding achievement in historic preservation.
The Grand Jury Awards honor projects involving the preservation or protection of historic resources including the restoration, rehabilitation, or adaptive reuse of historic properties; sympathetic new construction or additions to historic properties; or education, documentation, and advocacy work on behalf of historic preservation.
Project Team
