Raymond Grenald, an Abington resident and a pioneering and celebrated architectural lighting designer who first lit up Boathouse Row, died on March 6 at 96, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Grenald was both an engineer and architect. During his long and fruitful career, he added his artistic sensibility regarding form and shadow to his stunning lighting designs that set aglow many prominent local, national, and international locations, including the White House, the Baltimore World Trade Center, and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

Psychology, which he studied in college, also influenced his work, as he sought to perceive the “totality” of a location as he tried to imagine what visual effect it would have on a viewer.

In their online tribute, officials at the International Association of Lighting Designers wrote that Grenald “was instrumental in recognizing lighting design as a distinct creative field” and that “his legacy will continue illuminating the path for future generations of lighting designers.”

Grenald taught classes at Penn and Harvard University, among other places, and retired in the early 2010s. He also won numerous awards and mentored many young designers.

Read more about how Raymond Grenald’s idea to light up Boathouse Row changed Philadelphia’s landscape in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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