Lighting Helps Transform a Parking Garage Into a Work of Art
Murals have become a must-see attraction for visitors and residents of Peoria, the central Illinois city that prides itself on its commitment to public art installations. In fact, there are more than 60 murals from local artists throughout the city’s landscape.
The challenge of murals, of course, is that they can only be appreciated during daylight hours — which is why illuminating these works of art became a priority for Big Picture Peoria (BPP), a grassroots not-for-profit arts organization formed by a group of dedicated volunteers with a mission to build a vibrant and inclusive environment.
The most recent highlight in downtown Peoria is the mural “Live Greater” by local artist Alex Carmona, which vividly captures the laughter and joy of embracing a vibrant life in Peoria. This artwork emphasizes the power of visual storytelling and artistic expression, transforming a parking deck façade into a canvas of community spirit. Rather than being directly painted onto the building, the mural is presented through a mounted system featuring an extruded aluminum frame and a durable vinyl face that allows the artwork’s digital print to stand out while preserving the building’s integrity. This mounted mural system enables BPP to replace the artwork approximately every five years, reusing the permanent frame to provide a variety of artwork over time.
Mark Misselhorn, co-founder and vice president of BPP, contributed to the lighting selection process for this project. As a retired architect with 30+ years of experience in commercial architecture, he emphasized several key considerations for illuminating the mural:
• Even, well-distributed lighting, with little or no glare from the viewpoint of an observer on the ground
• An appropriate lighting temperature that was pleasing to the eye (i.e., neither too blue nor too white in appearance)
• Good color rendition, so the true colors of the artwork showed through
• The fixtures themselves, due to their size and visibility, needed to look good during the day
• Very low maintenance and operating costs, with a long life, as the City of Peoria would ultimately own the lighting and the mural after installation
“Lighting of public art is extremely important to us, because good lighting does several things,” Misselhorn explained. “It makes the artwork visible 24 hours a day, it adds a feeling of vibrancy and sense of safety on the city street, and it acts as a visible landmark for the parking deck and nearby businesses.”
To achieve these goals, the team at BPP – in collaboration with rep agency KSA Lighting – selected Hydrel’s SAF14 LED architectural floodlights. With an IP68 rating, IP10 option, and Taper-Lock technology, the SAF family is built to withstand outdoor environments.
In all, six SAF14 floodlights were selected and mounted horizontally to the building’s façade using 48-inch stem mounts that direct the light downward toward the mural. To ensure stability and safety above the public sidewalk below, each fixture is secured with a safety cable, providing additional security.
The fixtures were specified with a 4000K color temperature for a coolish white light that emphasizes intricate details, enhances color vibrancy – especially for cooler hues like blues and greens – and creates a sense of clarity across the artwork. Installed with prismatic lenses, these floodlights diffuse a uniformed light, reducing glare and controlling spill light, resulting in a balanced, inviting atmosphere that highlights the mural’s vivid colors and fine details effectively.
Working with local installer Oberlander Electric it was determined that because the Hydrel luminaires used relatively little current, they could be powered by the local lighting circuit from the adjacent parking deck. This greatly simplified installation, contributing to overall project savings.
“These Hydrel luminaires were the best choice for so many reasons,” Misselhorn said. “They look good, the illumination is excellent, they’re lightweight, and they require little energy. They checked all the boxes.”
Visitors, residents, and the city of Peoria agree that the Hydrel lighting installation has contributed to an impactful downtown landscape. “We’ve received nothing but positive comments and compliments,” Misselhorn stated, adding, “And that’s pretty rare for such a visible project!”
As the BPP team continues to create an arts corridor in the city center, it is anticipated that Hydrel luminaires will be an integral part of future projects.
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
NAME: Big Picture Peoria “Live Greater” Mural
LOCATION: Peoria, Illinois
LIGHTING DESIGN: Big Picture Peoria/KSA Lighting
LIGHTING AGENT: KSA Lighting & Controls
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR: Oberlander Electric
PHOTOGRAPHY: Anthony Tahlier Commercial Photography
Related articles
Hydrel Patents Flame Lighting Technique
9 Acuity Brands Products Selected for the IES Progress Report
