A City Seen in a Different Light An Evening with Hervé Descottes, Lighting Designer
New York after dark belongs to a different kind of architect — one who works not with steel and concrete, but with luminance, shadow, and the quiet language of light. Hervé Descottes, lighting designer and founder of L’Observatoire International, has spent decades shaping the way this city glows.
On May 17, step aboard the Manhattan I and experience his work the way it was always meant to be seen: from the water, at night, with Hervé Descottes as your guide.
As the boat traces New York’s coastline, the skyline reveals itself landmark by landmark. Pier 17’s warm amber edge. The cool blue pulse at the Domino Sugar Refinery. The angular glow of Hunters Point Library rising from the Queens waterfront. The industrial silhouette of Newtown Creek Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility transformed by light into something quietly monumental. Each of these projects carries a story — and there is no better person to tell it than the lighting designer who brought them to life.
This intimate two-hour keynote unfolds aboard a classic harbor vessel departing from Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers. Throughout the cruise, Hervé Descottes will share the philosophy, process, and singular vision behind some of New York’s most recognized nocturnal landmarks — work that has defined the city’s illuminated identity for a generation.
Guests will be joined by wine courtesy of Massican and soft beverages served throughout the evening.
Part keynote. Part guided tour. Entirely unique to NYCxDESIGN.
May 17 · 7:30–10:30 PM · Pier 62, Chelsea Piers
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