News: Beacon of Hope shines at Huntsman Cancer Institute
It has been one year since the passing of Jon M. Huntsman Sr., the visionary philanthropist who started a movement that transformed the upper edge of the University of Utah into a state-of-the-art cancer campus.
In his memory, a pillar of light could be seen emanating from the west side of the original HCI research building last night. The feature was originally Huntsman’s idea. As construction of the building was near conclusion in 1999, Huntsman envisioned a light originating from the cancer center that would reflect HCI’s commitment to push forward cancer research and provide exceptional patient care. The light became known as the Beacon of Hope.
Due to limitations in technology available two decades ago, the feature was not continuously lit. Architectural Nexus designed a renovation for the beacon and construction began in January 2018. Over the past twelve months, further improvements were made to update the installation with energy-efficient lighting panels. The new Beacon of Hope has 61 individual lighting panels embedded with pixel LED lights, each with an operating life of 30 years.
Today, the Beacon of Hope serves as a reminder that his vision lives on and will not stop until cancer is eradicated.