CNN’s Studio 19Y at Hudson Yards debuted on May 20, 2019 with New Day.  The industrial loft inspired new studio was designed by Jack Morton Worldwide and beautifully lit by Executive Lighting Designer Steve Brill, Senior Lighting Designer Niel Galen, Lighting Designers Dan Rousseau, Fred Uebele, and Lane Sparber, and Systems Designer Richard Hoyes.  In addition to New Day, Studio 19Y is home to At This Hour, Quest Means Business, and Cuomo Prime Time.  Each designed with their own distinct aesthetic.

The day in Studio 19Y begins at 6am with the flagship 3hour morning show, New Day.  New Day first debuted in 2012 in a small “loft” space.  The studio in Hudson Yards keeps the spirit of the original space with the brick walls and metal beams but adds higher ceilings and grand windows, actually video walls, that allow for endless possibilities.  The bright morning show welcomes viewers to the day and washes the brick in warm white while the metal elements are accented to carefully bring attention, but not to demand it.  The show is co-hosted by Alisyn Camerota and John Berman, primarily at the home base desk, but has several standups, demo areas, and cozy seating area for intimate interviews.

In the afternoon, Quest Means Business, hosted by Richard Quest and airing on the sister station CNNi, features the host energetically moving throughout the studio.  The set favors warmer tones with cool highlights to accent the architectural features around the studio.  The automated lighting fixtures allow for effortless lighting of the multitude of positions used. The color changing LED fixtures abundant throughout the studio enable the show to instantly change a look and feel for individual segments, allowing lighting to help tell the story.

The evening broadcast is Cuomo Prime Time, which flips the studio around physically and drastically alters the color pallet.  The lights on the brick walls shift to a dramatic rich blue accented with teal.  This allows for skin tones to pop out from the backgrounds.  Center to the entire set is the large “Cuomo Prime Time” sign that hangs behind the anchor and is carefully lit with accent lights. Floor pools dot the hardwood floor giving a warm base to the entire room.

LDG’s lighting design for Studio 19Y allows for the studio to be transformed from morning to evening and every inch of it used for unique news broadcasting.  Many thanks to the numerous people who made this possible.