A new art installation dubbed the “Milky Way” of lights will soon brighten up the 135 metre-tall blank wall of an upcoming Yaletown development.
DIALOG Architects has applied to the City of Vancouver on behalf of their client Wall Financial Group for permission to install the public art project.
Wall is currently building a 43 storey tall rental tower at 1310 Richards Street called Wall Centre Yaletown. The project is already above ground.
The wall of the building, which contains a stairwell and faces east, will be outfitted with the following:
- 80 wall-mounted light fixtures on the exterior of the eastern stair core wall;
- 20 fixtures in the first 75 meters height, and 60 fixtures in the remaining 60 meters;
- 100% dimmable lights with low wattage (12W) LED lamps; and
- Radial light effect to span approximately 3’-4’ feet outward from the centre of the fixture
The public art wall was designed by Vancouver-based Chris Doray Studio and Dean Skira, an award winning Croatian lighting designer.
The artist describes the installation as having a “dual life” – being attractive both in the daylight hours and in the evening.
“In the daytime, the convex shield on the luminaire is custom-coated with a mirror stainless steel finish that enables a microscopic reflection of Yaletown and the easterly sky. Once again the blank tall façade is delightfully animated with sparkles and twinkles. By night, the eighty luminaires symbolically transform into distant stars in the universe – the Milky Way.”
It will be interesting to see if the City of Vancouver has learned any lessons from the public art lighting display at West Pender Place in Coal Harbour, which upset neighbours who complained the LED light display was too bright.
LED billboards at BC Place also riled neighbours in the TV Towers development at Robson and Cambie.
