One Menasha Center, a gleaming new eight-story office building in Menasha, Wisconsin, was built to be a catalyst for economic growth. The $12.6 million, 115,000-square-foot tower anchors the downtown business district. Midway through construction, the developer said he wanted to highlight several signature elements of the building, including the “tiara” shape of the roofline, as well as a triangular “slant wall” section of custom metalwork at the base of the building.
The stunning result is that stripes of iLight Plexineon Blue LED fixtures trace the angled roofline, as well as the “slant wall”—giving even greater presence to the tallest building in the immediate vicinity.
Getting to that result was a process. The developer knew the effect he wanted—he wanted to make a statement with light. It was up to the design team to determine how to achieve his vision.
Evan Blakeman is a Project Manager with Faith Technologies, an electrical and specialty systems contractor that occupies Menasha Tower’s upper seven floors. He, along with the architecture team at Performa, began looking for a product that would replicate the look of neon, while being durable. Nothing seemed right until they found iLight Plexineon. “We saw samples and some detailed drawings, and we liked the way it looked. It seemed like just the right fit for the application,” Blakeman says.
Compact and easy to install, Plexineon LED fixtures would allow the project to stay on track, especially with the iLight team doing all they could to execute on a tight timeframe. “They even gave the option to provide custom-fit pieces and pieces trimmed to fit—to minimize field cutting,” Blakeman says.
Just as intended, the addition of Plexineon adds drama at night. Just as important, Blakeman notes, the fixtures aren’t visible during the day (even when viewed at eye level).
He adds that the developer likes Plexineon so much, he’s had the fixtures added to three other buildings he owns in a nearby town. “The Plexineon really increased the prominence of the building,” Blakeman says. “Everyone was very happy with the product and how it helps this new landmark stand out.”
Project Details
Project: One Menasha Center
Site: Menasha, WI
Location: Exterior Application
Product Use: Direct View
Lighting Design and Architecture: Performa | www.performainc.com
Project Management: Faith Technologies | www.faithtechnologies.com
Product: Plexineon Blue
Length: 1204 LF (366.9 m)
Learn more about iLight products at www.ilight-tech.com.
