Art installation designed to illuminate at sunset unveiled in Vancouver's West End
Vancouver's vibrant West End community is home to one of the city's newest public art installations, which was designed to light up the neighbourhood at sunset.
Westbank Corporation commissioned Vancouver-based artist Neil Campbell to design the piece for the developer's mixed-use retail and residential Zephyr building on Davie Street.
Campbell's work has been featured at several exhibitions across the globe, including at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
In a social media post Wednesday, Westbank Corp. stated that the installation was created to illuminate the building's facade with a series of animated light boxes that generate "a colourful and rhythmic display."
The installation, which is also called Zephyr, was designed to respond to its changing environment by illuminating at sunset according to the time of day and season.
"The colours of the display will also evolve over time," the post reads.
On their website, Westbank added that the state-of-the-art LED screens were inspired by the "beautiful natural environment and the colours and light of the West End" and Campbell's piece "will act as a living canvas."
While the installation's brightness is now quite subtle, that wasn't always the case.
In 2020 and 2021, several concerned residents complained about not getting any shuteye, when a programming issue resulted in bright white lights glowing late at night.
"Unfortunately, during testing, a technical error occurred involving a bypass system, and two lightpads were unintentionally left on. We sincerely apologize to the community and Safeway for this situation. We will be creating a 24-hour monitoring system to ensure the light installation operates only within programmed hours going forward,” Westbank told CTV News in a statement in March of last year, after the LED light display was kept on into the early hours of the morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.