Illuminating Downtown
The City of San José’s Illuminating Downtown Program combined art and high-tech strategies to manifest San José’s goal of creating a more engaging Downtown that looks, feels, and acts like the Capital of Silicon Valley.
Below features four lighting projects within the program:
San Carlos Relay
San Carlos Relay is an interactive artwork consisting of eight six-foot tall lanterns placed along West San Carlos Street between 4th and Market Streets in downtown San José.
The lanterns are programmed to “play” a range of lighting sequences and respond to pedestrian traffic. People are invited to changing the lighting sequence via a button on the support pole, creating a new program that cascades along the street
San Carlos Relay
ArtistS
Steve Durie
Bruce Gardner
Partners
Lumileds
San Jose Public Art
Sensing You
Sensing You is a constellation of interactive illuminated “halos” beneath the State Route 87 welcoming pedestrians by changing color in reaction to their movements between SAP Arena and San Pedro Square restaurants. Niantic Inc. has integrated Sensing You into the immersive real-world mobile game Ingress as an in-game “portal.” Players of the two in-game factions can alter the color of the art piece and virtually battle for control of the portal.
Sensing You
Artist
Dan Corson
Partners
San Jose Public Art
San Jose Downtown Association
Niantic, Inc.
ArtPlace America
Sensing Water
Sensing Water is a weather-responsive, interactive artwork uses light and paint to define the downtown gateway at Highway 87 and San Fernando St. The art work includes two elements: the massive painted sloped wall painted with a flowing water pattern and overhead evening lighting that illuminates with rippling patterns that light the underpass. It uses real-time NOAA weather data to compose different patterns of light on the ceiling. (e.g.: 0-5mph winds vs thunderstorms). Niantic Inc. has integrated Sensing WATER into the immersive real-world mobile game Ingress as an in-game “portal.”Players of the two in-game factions can alter the color of the art piece and virtually battle for control of the portal.
Sensing water
Artist
Dan Corson
Partners
San Jose Public Art
San Jose Downtown Association
Niantic, Inc.
ArtPlace America
Show your stripes
Show Your Stripes is a dynamic lighting façade in place of a blank-walled parking structure of the 88 Apartments building in Downtown San José. The illuminated façade that masks the four-story parking structure has a lighting program that can be changed via cell phone and programming. This lighting installation was created by the artist James Conti and through a public survey that responded to participant’s favorite song or colors with over 300 options ranging from “Questionable Weather” to “Slow Purple Fruit.” Diners in the restaurants opposite the apartment building and people who are passing by can be entertained and enjoy changing the lights through their phone as they spend time downtown.
Artwork Activation
Call (408) 287-0128
After The Tone, Enter any 3 digit combination from 1 - 9
Press “0” (Zero), Then Hang Up
Show your stripes
Artist
James Conti
Client
The 88 Apartments