|
In 1970 Harry Gerstel sold Gotham to the ITT Indoor Lighting
Group, which saw fit to de-emphasize the marketing of Gotham
products, and the name fell from sight.
In the late 1970s Lithonia Lighting purchased the Group,
including what had been the Gotham product lines. Lithonia also
purchased Major Metal Forming in Chicago, and over the next few years
invested millions in the facility to ensure that Gotham reflectors
manufactured there would be the finest in the industry.
Meanwhile, Lithonia's newly-formed Lighting Technology
Group set out to re-energize Gotham's heritage of innovation. Optical
experts focused on minimizing the impact of reflected lamp image, which
led to development of the Bounding Ray Optical Principle , a means by
which to accommodate the geometry of different lamp types to realize far
greater optical control and increased efficiency.
 |
|
The peripheral region of the human vision system is extremely
sensitive to brightness and motion. In recent years, Gotham
invented an advanced approach to reflector contour design -
called The Bounding Ray Optical Principle - to minimize visual
"noise" in overhead downlights.
|
| |
| In the late 1980s Gotham addressed the problem of thermal
sensitivity common with horizontally-oriented compact fluorescent
fixtures. Our advanced vented housing design, called Ventimax(R),
creates a convective ventilation path to cool the lamps, maximizing
compact fluorescent lamp efficiency.
And the 1995 introduction of our innovative Vertisys(R) system is a
prime example of Gotham's design philosophy. With this advancement,
the appearance of compact fluorescent downlighting is now pleasingly
similar to that of incandescent luminaires.
Since the development of Bounding Ray Optics
and the introduction of Vertisys in 1995,
Gotham has methodically applied these new concepts to
re-engineer our entire portfolio of recessed, surface and pendant
products. Our design
focus is to drive improvements in system efficiency while providing
superior optical control for visual comfort and aesthetics.
We continue to explore advanced light sources,
including ceramic metal halide and LED technologies, researching new
optical materials and design techniques for optimizing system
performance and accelerating development of market-viable lighting
solutions. |
|
|
Poor air circulation can cause heat build-up and reduce light output
of compact fluorescent lamps by up to 30%. Gotham's exclusive
Ventimax design overcomes the limitation. |
|
The development of Vertisys downlighting is a prime example of
Gotham's design philosophy at work today. |
|
Our Lighting Technology Group continually explores new possibilities
in architectural lighting. An advanced photometric testing lab
supports their efforts and ensures optimal performance of all Gotham
products in the field.
|
|