The iconic Kentile Floors sign of 9th Street in Brooklyn will be illuminated once againfor one night only. NYDN reports that a trio of creative types will use a high-powered projector and 3D technology to project light onto the defunct sign from an office building about a block away on May 3. The innovators began the process of "projection mapping" by tracing a photograph of the sign to create a projection template. What will be cast onto the letters is a video that projects white lines onto the sign where the neon tubes should be, making it appear repaired.
The eight-story icon, erected in 1949, is visible to this day from the F and G lines and from the Gowanus Expressway. At its peak, the flooring plant employed over 400 people. Kentile filed for bankruptcy in 1992, the same year its sign went dark. In 1996 the sign was nominated to the Census of Places that Matter through the "History Happened Here" conference. Despite its notoriety, the sign's tenure is questionable. An earlier appeal to the Landmark's Preservation Commission made clear that signage alone cannot be landmarked. But for now, the sign is safe to captivate by night once more.
· Iconic Kentile Floors sign in Gowanus to illuminate once again — for one night only [NYDN]
· All Kentile Floors coverage [Curbed]
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