Osram Sylvania Relights Facade of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
North American Industry Leader Illuminates National Landmark in Lower Manhattan
New York, N.Y. (May 11, 2007) - OSRAM SYLVANIA and the U.S. General Services Administration hosted a lighting ceremony Tuesday evening at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, unveiling the new lighting design for the building's façade. The project is one of several for the City of New York's Bowling Green revitalization.
"As the leading lighting manufacturer in North America, we are committed to illuminating history by relighting our national treasures throughout the United States," Francis Santiago, OSRAM SYLVANIA executive vice president and general manager, said. "We are delighted to add the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House to the considerable list of national and New York City historic landmarks illuminated by SYLVANIA."
The May 8th lighting event not only marked the completion of the lighting installation, but the centennial of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, National Historic Preservation Month, and LIGHTFAIR International, the largest trade event for the lighting industry and the lighting design community.
"The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is one of the most significant historic buildings in GSA's national inventory. The relighting of this building is a wonderful way to celebrate the centennial of this historic icon and capture the stunning structural and architectural beauty the building brings to Lower Manhattan and the City of New York," said Emily Baker, GSA Regional Administrator.
Planned by lighting designer Randy Sabedra of RS Lighting Design in Manhattan, and Patricia DiMaggio, the SYLVANIA commercial lighting engineer for the New York area, the relighting of the U.S. Custom House façade maintains the historic and architectural integrity of the building, while replacing older technologies with new, more energy-efficient and environmentally responsible products.
With energy savings a large component of this project, the SYLVANIA lighting features today's most efficient light sources such as LEDs, ceramic metal halide and halogen. By incorporating these light sources, the GSA, according to calculations by Con Edison, will lower its electrical load by 43.1 percent and is projected to save approximately $6654.14 on its annual electricity bill, which eliminates the equivalent of 15.5 tons of CO² emissions using the Mayor's PlaNYC 2030 conversion standard.
Osram Sylvania has provided lighting for several New York City landmarks, including the Dana Center in Central Park, the Koenig Sphere in Battery Park, the Battery Park waterfront, Atlantic Avenue and Union Square, as well as national treasures across the country such as the Jefferson Memorial, Old Boston State House, the Hoover Dam and Bunker Hill.
About OSRAM SYLVANIA:
OSRAM SYLVANIA is a leader in lighting solutions and specialty products that feature innovative design and energy saving technology. The company sells products for homes, businesses and vehicles primarily under the SYLVANIA brand name, and also under the OSRAM brand. Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., OSRAM SYLVANIA is the North American operation of OSRAM GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens AG. For more information, visit www.sylvania.com .
About the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House:
The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House was built in 1907 by the federal government to house the duty collection and border enforcement operations for the port of New York. It is located near the southern tip of Manhattan, next to Battery Park, at 1 Bowling Green. The building is now the home of the New York branch of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, the George Gustav Heye Center. The U.S. Custom House is on the National Register of Historic Places for both its exterior and public interior spaces. In addition, the U.S. Custom House was one of the earliest designations of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.
During 2007, the U.S. General Services Administration, along with its federal partner agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House. A number of special events and activities are being planned to recognize this significant occasion, with emphasis on the preservation of our nation's historic landmarks. For more information on this celebration, please visit www.oldnycustomhouse.gov .
About the U.S. General Services Administration:
Founded in 1949, GSA serves as a centralized procurement and property management agency for the federal government. GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government's total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,300 government-owned or leased buildings and 170,000 vehicles. GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 420 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services. GSA's mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and e-travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.
CONTACT:
Kathy Brannigan
GreystonePartners/845.223.1950
kathy@greystonepartners.net
David Greening
OSRAM SYLVANIA/978.750.2404
david.greening@sylvania.com
