Nicollet Mall

The commercial heart of Minneapolis is undoubtedly The Nicollet Mall.  This 50-year-old pedestrian and transit street in Minneapolis's heart was created in 1965 to lure shoppers downtown and away from the growing popularity of enclosed malls.

 After a multi-year renovation project that saw the refurbishment of everything from utilities to site illumination, the mall reopened in the fall of 2017. It now features a two-block-long outdoor corridor of programmable lights known as the Light Walk. Designed by James Corner Field Operations, the Light Walk and the new outdoor areas have not only reinvigorated the space, they have made it a destination, an exciting place for the public to gather and participate in a variety of informal and programmed events, festivals, performances, and markets. The Light Walk itself is a series of tall, upturned C-shaped linear light stems that use Lumenpulse Lumenfacade RGB luminaires to downlight the walkway beneath them. This allows a sense of "light from above" while still providing color and illumination on the well-used walkway. A walk becomes an experience under the Light Walk.

 The Nicollet lighting system, which includes the Light Walk, the Nicollet Lanterns, and the streetlight beacons, creates an experiential element to the area. The Light Walk, which uses Lumenpulse Lumenfacade luminaires, and Nicollet Lanterns (which use Lumenpulse Lumendome luminaires) bring light, color, and movement to the space. The new lighting scheme's crown jewel, the Light Walk, mimics the light and sky reflections at the sidewalk level. The Lumenpulse Lumenbeam luminaires used throughout offer architectural and general lighting support within the new design.

 The dynamic color-changing abilities of the Lumenpulse luminaires provide support to numerous events throughout the year. The Nicollet Mall also allows lighting scene requests for civic celebrations and events. The interactive, accessible, and inviting new lighting design in the Nicollet Mall's outdoor areas are inspiring, they are bringing a vibrant new interest in the area to light.