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#1 BlueMound

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Posted 06 October 2009 - 09:41 PM

I was driving through downtown and uptown Dallas the other night, and noticed the colorful lighting effects on many of the buildings.
I liked many of the lighting designs, even the retro neon look of the Mercantile Clock Tower is pretty cool.

I think that a few FW buildings like the AT&T building or Burnett Plaza could do with a bit of lighting magic.

And I like what the T&P lofts recently did with their roof top pedestal lighting. Nice job.


#2 rsowell73

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 04:20 PM

I agree! I cannot wait for the day that FW gets rid of the yellow burned out Christmas lights. It looks so horrible at night. SAVE THE ENERGY AND TURN THEM OFF.


#3 Brian Luenser

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Posted 22 October 2009 - 08:16 PM

QUOTE (rsowell73 @ Oct 22 2009, 05:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I agree! I cannot wait for the day that FW gets rid of the yellow burned out Christmas lights. It looks so horrible at night. SAVE THE ENERGY AND TURN THEM OFF.



I agree also. What started out as kind of a fun them has turned into an icky 60's theme. When I get up in the middle of the night and the lights are turned off, it looks great. In fact I just thought of a great before and after pic. Act surprised...
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#4 Fort Worthology

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Posted 23 October 2009 - 07:41 AM

The current lighting only looks bad where poorly maintained. The Basses take care of theirs, for the most part, and it's not bad at all.

That said, I'd not object to a little more variety. The buildings which light their crowns and other details really work for me, especially the new lights on the T&P.

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#5 cbellomy

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Posted 24 October 2009 - 01:24 AM

The windy weather lately has made the light lines around the Fair Building visible from the corner offices, and I can tell you all that they are rusty and mostly bereft of light bulbs. I'd like the owners to take them down and instead install flood lighting of the top two floors -- they can colorize it for Christmas if they want. It's a bit sad sometimes, working in the building that seems to get the lowest ratio of respect:quality of any building downtown.


#6 BlueMound

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Posted 30 October 2009 - 09:19 PM

A big 'Thumbs Up' to Chesapeake for lighting the top of their building with TCU purple.

#7 Volare

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Posted 14 November 2009 - 11:39 PM

Tonight it wasn't just the Chesapeake that was lit up purple, so was the top of The Tower, and the awful Barnett Bank building had the yellow lights turned off and the west and south flanks were lit by purple spotlights. Looks SO much better than the standard lighting I think they should do it all the time!

#8 Brian Luenser

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Posted 15 November 2009 - 11:58 AM

QUOTE (Volare @ Nov 14 2009, 11:39 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Tonight it wasn't just the Chesapeake that was lit up purple, so was the top of The Tower, and the awful Barnett Bank building had the yellow lights turned off and the west and south flanks were lit by purple spotlights. Looks SO much better than the standard lighting I think they should do it all the time!



I agree with color. I love the Chesapeake building with any colored lighting. It can be Red and Green all year or pink if they like. I hope that it is purple until TCU wins the championship...

I have many TCU purple pics posted on another thread on this Forum. (kind of hidden, so here is the link)

http://www.fortworth...m...ic=3977&hl=
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#9 rsowell73

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Posted 11 March 2010 - 09:44 AM

Does anyone know the Management company name for the Burnett Plaza building. I want to right to them about the horrible burned out lights on the building. They have been out for quite some time. It's a shame that such a prominent building in downtown has those horrible lights outlining the building.

#10 David Love

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Posted 12 March 2010 - 08:58 PM

No luck on finding the Burnett Plaza info, you'd think they might want to remedy that.


I did notice, maybe it's a test, but a new string of lights on one edge of the Jet Building. They slowly change colors, reminds me of that 70's era round multi colored pizza thingy that twirled over a heat lamp to add a colorful glow to your Christmas tree and decorations.


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#11 Brian Luenser

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Posted 14 March 2010 - 11:51 AM

Friday night as I looked out my windows I noticed a new lighting treatment on the Jett Building. (Sundance Square mural building) Perimeter lighting. Was wild and crazy. It seemed like the lighting was very inappropriate for a 108 year old historic structure. I was really disappointed Friday night but then last night it was back to more conservative (and appropriate) lighting. Of course with modern electronics and LED's it is likely for some time this building has had the ability to have crazy lighting schemes in going on. If it turns out that Friday night was just a silly anomaly or somebody programming the controls then I will be happy to put on my "I'm an old fart and should mind my own business" hat on. Surely for temporary purposes the crazy lighting is just fun. If it becomes the Fort Worth Disco building I would be disappointed. Stand by...

I took this video with my camera Friday night. As luck would have it, the first third of the video shows little crazy action. Watch it all to see what I am talking about.


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#12 John T Roberts

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Posted 14 March 2010 - 09:49 PM

I don't have a problem with LED lighting on a historic building, providing the lights are tastefully done. The "disco" look definitely is not appropriate, but if the lights were all one color then that is OK. The advantages of the LED lights are the energy savings and the flexibility to change the colors, like you witnessed from your perch in the tower.

#13 Fort Worthology

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Posted 15 March 2010 - 08:00 AM

I actually like that. I hope they keep it up, perhaps in a slightly toned-down version (I do like having all the colors - the "marching" lights, not as much).

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#14 David Love

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Posted 17 March 2010 - 07:03 AM

I could see them going all green tonight!

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#15 Brian Luenser

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 06:52 AM

A few shots of TCU purple from my parking garage at The Tower last night. TCU Sports is kind of kicking hiney lately...





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#16 Brian Luenser

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 10:01 PM

Went West tonight for some Downtown TCU PURPLE pics. Here are a few...









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#17 Volare

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 10:22 PM

I wonder if the buildings have gotten a higher tech way to change their colors than they did last fall during the football team's run. I know Chesapeke was experimenting with some light units that could rapidly change color on the fly. Otherwise I guess they are all using the gels again? I sure wish they'd turn off the lights on the concrete monolith and do the Frog projection again!

#18 Brian Luenser

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Posted 22 June 2010 - 09:53 PM

QUOTE (Volare @ Jun 20 2010, 11:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I wonder if the buildings have gotten a higher tech way to change their colors than they did last fall during the football team's run. I know Chesapeake was experimenting with some light units that could rapidly change color on the fly. Otherwise I guess they are all using the gels again? I sure wish they'd turn off the lights on the concrete monolith and do the Frog projection again!



Have not heard of anything beyond the gell packs. They sure can work well. The Tower has a bit of pink to its display. Purple is harder. Chesapeake has the secret as evidenced by this shot form Montgomery Plaza I took Sunday night. I congratulate them on their color displays year round. They could leave this TCU Purple for a long time in my book.
And all while HBO was airing the "Documentary" on the ills of Natural Gas drilling. Sure beats filling the Gulf with oil or buying oil from terrorists... might see some more accurate facts at www.energyindepth.org



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#19 Brian Luenser

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Posted 01 October 2010 - 11:03 PM

After working late tonight, I was surprised to all the additional buildings that have gone TCU Purple.
I really enjoy the spirit. Good for Fort Worth. And good for TCU...

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#20 John T Roberts

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Posted 02 October 2010 - 10:04 PM

It appears the new LED lighting on the buildings is starting to pay off.



#21 David Love

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Posted 03 October 2010 - 02:28 PM

Are their only colors White or Purple?

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#22 John T Roberts

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Posted 03 October 2010 - 07:23 PM

The lights have a full range of colors. If you remember, Brian posted a video showing the disco lights on the Jett Building (Chisholm Trail Mural) taken from his unit in The Tower.

#23 Brian Luenser

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Posted 03 October 2010 - 07:46 PM

The lights have a full range of colors. If you remember, Brian posted a video showing the disco lights on the Jett Building (Chisholm Trail Mural) taken from his unit in The Tower.


That is correct. In fact in the week leading up to Friday going purple, they were every color as well as every pattern. A technology that I surely do not understand whereas sometimes the lights seem to be running in packets. I can understand changing the whole string to another color (like by changing the frequency of the electricity or something) but to have different colors moving along the string? Just don't see how that is possible. They were playing with the lights mostly after 11 pm as to have less of an audience. Was fascinating going to bed as the ceiling would be changing colors. They surely are effective in their colors. Like purple really being purple. I am thinking they are something very new. Friday night when I decided to take pics of all the purple I took a shot off of my balcony first because a year ago one of buildings (The old fire station downtown) installed LED lighting around it's perimeter and my camera would not really capture the color. It all looked like muted white lights. These lights do photography great. Complicated stuff. But I do love the vivid purple. (Photographically for sure)
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#24 David Love

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Posted 03 October 2010 - 07:51 PM

The lights have a full range of colors. If you remember, Brian posted a video showing the disco lights on the Jett Building (Chisholm Trail Mural) taken from his unit in The Tower.


That's what I thought, but I only see white or TCU purple for all of downtown, you'd think they'd have maybe green for St. Patrick's Day, maybe red and/or white for Christmas or Cowboy's blue for big games. Perhaps TCU is the only official company Sundance Square can back or the only one they can agree on. I see them playing with the stock settings on the Jet Building, just random cycle settings but no uniform downtown color scheme.

I could see something like that give people something to talk about in the outlying areas, "what's the blue for?" kind of like the GOOGLE images on their home page, more than once I've clicked on the image to find out what day they were celebrating. Might be enough for some to hop online to see what's going on downtown.

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#25 jefffwd

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Posted 04 October 2010 - 12:30 PM

I really wish Burnett Plaza would consider the LED lights as opposed to the burned out Christmas lights.

#26 Brian Luenser

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Posted 04 October 2010 - 01:40 PM

I really wish Burnett Plaza would consider the LED lights as opposed to the burned out Christmas lights.



Agreed. These new LED's are really visible. And the Burnett building is way huge.
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#27 David Love

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Posted 04 October 2010 - 07:20 PM


I really wish Burnett Plaza would consider the LED lights as opposed to the burned out Christmas lights.



Agreed. These new LED's are really visible. And the Burnett building is way huge.


Wonder how much that would cost, those LEDs are not cheap?

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#28 Owen

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Posted 04 October 2010 - 11:16 PM

Wonder how much that would cost, those LEDs are not cheap?


They aren't cheap, but they pay very well for themselves in the long run.

#29 David Love

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Posted 06 October 2010 - 06:49 PM

If they're going to get all their lights in a row, you'd think they'd get it done BEFORE the Super Bowl!

Since Fort Worth is spending 4.5 million on the event, I'm hoping some of the funds will be invested in things that leave Fort Worth in a positive light for years to come and don't wind up instead in a bunch of confetti to be cleaned up and carted away once the party is over.

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#30 Brian Luenser

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Posted 22 October 2010 - 10:45 PM

Tonight, the Omni went TCU Purple. Looks great! Good for them. Took this shot hanging off of my balcony in the rain while Downtown was still a bit loud with Rangers celebration. Of course later tonight Nolan Ryan is going home to the Omni so these things are not completely unrelated...

Posted Image
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#31 David Love

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Posted 23 October 2010 - 08:19 AM

I thought some of the purple was in support of Joel Burns...? Spirit day or spirit colors.

Last night 22 Oct downtown lights were red and white stripped, looked pretty cool. I'll get a shot the next time I see something worth noting.

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#32 Volare

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Posted 23 October 2010 - 12:49 PM

Tonight, the Omni went TCU Purple. Looks great! Good for them. Took this shot hanging off of my balcony in the rain while Downtown was still a bit loud with Rangers celebration. Of course later tonight Nolan Ryan is going home to the Omni so these things are not completely unrelated...


It has been like that for a few days now. I was gonna send you a note and tell you to get a shot of it when I first saw it. Also not sure if it is a TCU thing or a Joel Burns thing... I'll just think both!

#33 David Love

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Posted 24 October 2010 - 07:19 PM


Tonight, the Omni went TCU Purple. Looks great! Good for them. Took this shot hanging off of my balcony in the rain while Downtown was still a bit loud with Rangers celebration. Of course later tonight Nolan Ryan is going home to the Omni so these things are not completely unrelated...

It has been like that for a few days now. I was gonna send you a note and tell you to get a shot of it when I first saw it. Also not sure if it is a TCU thing or a Joel Burns thing... I'll just think both!

Since TCU doesn't play every day I'm voting for the Joel Burns support.

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#34 Brian Luenser

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Posted 24 October 2010 - 07:40 PM



Tonight, the Omni went TCU Purple. Looks great! Good for them. Took this shot hanging off of my balcony in the rain while Downtown was still a bit loud with Rangers celebration. Of course later tonight Nolan Ryan is going home to the Omni so these things are not completely unrelated...

It has been like that for a few days now. I was gonna send you a note and tell you to get a shot of it when I first saw it. Also not sure if it is a TCU thing or a Joel Burns thing... I'll just think both!

Since TCU doesn't play every day I'm voting for the Joel Burns support.


As Fort Worth has been going purple for a year, I will go with TCU support.
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