The Exterior 400 Range - a powerful yet energy-efficient line of LED light fixtures for colored or white light projection - gives Miami Dade College the flexibility to bathe the building in any colour they choose. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, for example, the building was bathed in pink - the official colour of breast cancer awareness - for the duration of the month.
Listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, Freedom Tower was used to process hundreds of thousands of Cuban refugees in the 1960s. In 2005, the building was donated to Miami Dade College, which uses it as a cultural and educational center. The building has recently undergone a major renovation.
As the most prominent structure on its downtown campus, Miami Dade College sought to highlight the building's landmark status and role as a major meeting point for both community and students.
In 2008, Jorge Gamez of Stage, Equipment and Lighting of Miami began working with lighting director Carlos Cedano of Miami Dade College on the renovation of the College's downtown campus auditorium. In 2010, Miami Dade College was looking to illuminate the Freedom Tower and subsequently turned to Gamez. "They came to me with several prerequisites," Gamez explains. "Most notably, they wanted to go green and insisted on LED. The Exterior 400 Range was just about to be released and fit in perfectly. I contacted Jim Fuller at Martin who provided a couple of prototype units for an evening of on-site demonstrations. The fixture really sold itself."
(Jim Evans)
