Hudson Yards-residential tower LED lighting

Project Overview

This residential tower LED lighting project delivers 12,500 meters of premium linear LED illumination across Hudson Yards’ tallest residential tower — a 72-floor mixed-use landmark that defines New York City’s newest neighborhood. The energy efficient LED strip system covers the dramatic 18-meter sky lobby entrance, podium-level retail facade accents visible from the High Line elevated park, full amenity floors including infinity pool, fitness center, and residents’ lounge, plus residential corridors across all 72 floors. Moreover, the building’s illuminated podium crown creates a distinctive nighttime identity that marks 35 Hudson Yards within the broader development skyline. Senfey specifically engineered this residential tower LED lighting system to meet NYC’s stringent Local Law 97 energy performance requirements while delivering the warm, luxurious ambiance that ultra-premium residential buyers expect. The energy efficient LED strip system achieves 145 lumens per watt efficacy — exceeding code minimums by 18% and positioning the building favorably for future regulatory tightening. Working with Related Companies’ development team, Senfey phased the installation across 6 months to accommodate occupied floors without disruption.

Client Requirements & Challenge

New York City’s stringent energy code (Local Law 97) required maximum luminous efficacy from every installed meter of LED strip, establishing a minimum performance threshold that eliminates most conventional products from consideration. The sky lobby’s dramatic 18-meter ceiling height demanded high-output strips with precise asymmetric beam control to achieve effective wall-washing illumination without creating uncomfortable ceiling glare for guests entering at ground level. Furthermore, union electrical contractor requirements in New York mandated that all components carry UL or ETL listing — no exceptions permitted regardless of international certifications. The phased installation program across already-occupied residential floors required completely silent driver operation during daytime hours, as any audible buzzing or humming from PWM dimming would generate immediate resident complaints. In addition, the building’s mixed-use nature meant coordinating installation across residential, hotel, retail, and amenity zones, each with different access schedules, finish standards, and commissioning requirements. The electrical contractors needed to maintain continuous lobby operations throughout the 6-month installation program.

Senfey Solution

Senfey provided fully ETL-listed tunable white COB strips that meet NYC energy code requirements with verified 145 lm/W luminous efficacy — making this energy efficient LED strip system one of the highest-performing residential installations in Manhattan. High-output 48V strips in the sky lobby use custom asymmetric profile lenses engineered for effective wall-washing across the full 18-meter stone wall height without creating ceiling glare or uncomfortable brightness at eye level. All 620 drivers operate completely silently above 25kHz PWM switching frequency, specifically addressing the residential tower LED lighting requirement for zero audible noise on occupied floors. Consequently, the installation team completed work on floors with existing residents without generating a single noise complaint across the entire 6-month phased program. Zone-by-zone commissioning proceeded floor by floor with the building already partially occupied, requiring careful coordination between Senfey’s technical team and Related Companies’ residential management staff. Furthermore, the tunable white capability (2700-5000K) enables different color temperature settings for morning and evening in common areas, supporting resident wellbeing through circadian-appropriate lighting throughout the day.

System Specification