Shining a Light on the Seaport

With a prime position on the East River waterfront—and as a hub for the most exciting new restaurants and live music events in Lower Manhattan—Pier 17 was always going to stand out. But it was the addition of the building’s unique lightband, a glass envelope encasing the top two floors, that transformed it into a beacon of the downtown skyline.

Designed by SHoP Architects, the Pier 17 Lightband façade spans over 37,000 square feet and is comprised of 2,000 individual fixtures across 50 glass bays.

The glass lightboxes are arranged in vertical clusters and create a rhythmic effect that is amplified when the system is programmed for custom color displays—illuminating the waterfront and rooftops of the Seaport. The Lightband can portray an almost endless spectrum of colors.