Cannon Design Blog

Cannon Design’s lighting efforts at the Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Buffalo Sabres First Niagara Arena have been recognized with Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Awards of Merit. Sara Schonour directed the lighting design for the Banner project while Ray Soto oversaw efforts with the Sabres. The Banner project has also been selected to move on for final judging Monday, May 8 as it will be considered for an additional Award of Excellence. Below is information on both projects.

MD Anderson Cancer Center and The Lantern of Hope

The U.S. Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center consolidates and greatly expands metropolitan Phoenix’s inpatient and outpatient oncology services into a single comprehensive campus that facilitates a multidisciplinary approach to cancer diagnostics and treatment – delivering unprecedented levels of cancer care in Arizona. Cannon Design provided integrated architectural and engineering services for the project.

The building features a Lantern of Hope – an impressive and symbolic structure. At 64’ tall the structure rises to mark the desert as a tree of life. The palo verde tree – known in arboreal terms as a nurse plant for its protective role in the life of other desert flora and fauna – is the point of departure for this open-air entry pavilion. Fractal patterns of both brand and leaf are translated to the computer for the digital fabrication of 32 1” thick water-jet cut aluminum panels. The panels are comprised of over 10,000 unique opening. The panels – bead-blasted with copper shot in order to soften the material’s presence in the desert sun – form the outer layer of this structure. An inner scrim of fabric activates the element and the space it contains. By day, the fabric captures the projected image of the palo verde for a softly luminous space of transition to the building. By illuminating the fabric with color-changing LED lighting, the tower becomes a lantern at night. The colors of the lantern can be coordinated with the specific cancer disease awareness month, giving the whole element a didactic purpose.

Buffalo Sabres, First Niagara Renovations

Cannon Design helped the Buffalo Sabres renovate their team and support spaces to create a gold standard for NHL team and arena facilities. The project began as a minor upgrade for the Sabres’ 15-year-old main locker area and grew to encompass a complete reorganization of 30,000 sf in the arena. The design process included input from the coaching and equipment staffs who use the staff daily as well as the players

Key lighting features include the use of linear, long-life LEDs tucked into the architectural cove framing the Hall of Fame walkway and narrow aperture fluorescent troffers illuminating the dignitary names. Multiple light sources, chosen for their unique abilities, reinforce architectural details and light the various spaces. The Sabres’ team room features a perforated metal ceiling in pie-shaped radial sections converging on a dimmable, glowing team-logo lantern. Light emanating from the perforated metal ceiling and lantern, provides a soft, indirect lighting effect. The players’ bench zone is lighted with dimmable, linear fluorescents installed in an elliptical, architectural cove, further accentuating the room’s shape.

Ted Fowler - 26 Apr 2012

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