The Tribute in Light at 25:
Charles Stone, FMS
Virtual
Thursday, April 8, 2027
Credits LU|Elective
Intermediate
2026 marks the 25th anniversary of the Tribute in Light which commemorates those lost in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. Mr. Stone will speak about this unique inspiring luminous memorial, retrace the creative process (both philosophically and technically), discuss the collaboration led by Fisher Marantz Stone, and present stories and photos, of both “backstage“ and of the Tribute from afar, tracing the steps from the first renderings to the extraordinary reveal of the twin towers in Light.
If you were there, remember seeing the beams of light for the first time. If not, learn the story of the most powerful use of light in our lifetime.
Learning Objectives
- Learn about the inception and the importance of both visual and narrative collaboration.
- Explore and understand the technical challenges behind making two beams of light visible from all around New York City.
- Learn how the execution of the project proceeded through sketches, mock ups, and the first installation.
- Learn about the philosophical, spiritual, and emotional aspects of the project.
Speaker
Charles Stone
Founder
FMS
Charles joined architectural lighting designers, Jules Fisher & Paul Marantz, Inc. in 1983, and helped found FMS in 1997. From studios in New York, Seattle, and Austin, FMS has received 300 awards and completed 5000 successful projects on six continents, including Carnegie Hall, the Washington Monument, the Tribute in Light, the Hong Kong International Airport, the Portland Airport, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, the Peninsula Hotel in Paris, 41 buildings on the Shanghai Bund, the world’s tallest building - the Burj Kalifa, and the 2nd tallest - Merdeka Tower in Kuala Lumpur. Mr. Stone is a graduate of Princeton University, a Certified Lighting Designer, LEED and NCQLP accredited, a Fellow and Past President of the International Association of Lighting Designers, and has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Edison Report and the ILAS (Mumbai). In 2025 Charles was named a Lighting ICON by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York. Charles’s Traveling Light lecture tour features explorations of light and culture and has visited 25 countries. Mr. Stone is active in education and research as a member the Advisory Board for the Architectural Lighting program at Oregon State University, the IESNA Lighting for Outdoor Nighttime Environment Committee, the Lighting Detectives (Tokyo), and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Nuckolls Fund for Lighting Education.