West Pender Place’s Lighting Feature Has Neighbours Upset

September 25, 2011

Posted by Vancity Buzz | 14 »

In recent years Vancouver has taken steps to brighten up it’s downtown core with some lighting effects on select buildings. Well it seems one building in particular, West Pender Place in Coal Harbour, has the neighbours up in arms as the supposed non intrusive LED displays have caused quite the stir. Perhaps the suburbs are where people should look to live if they want to avoid the noise and light pollution of downtown. Or maybe send them to Hong Kong and show them how lighting can accentuate the city’s buildings and to the urban fabric.

The installation was designed by Dutch artist Tamar Frank at a cost of $400,000 to building developer Reliance Properties. It’s designed to change colours as it illuminates the blank, grey wall. It was a refreshing touch in a city where blandness was running rampant. The lights where on all night, however, now will be shut off at 10pm. That seems to be a fair compromise. The city has stated that they will not take the installation down. I hope they stand by that statement and not succumb to public pressure.

In a city that is bleak and grey for half the year it’s nice to see lighting on buildings. It adds some visual appeal, but then again I don’t live across the street from the building. But if people can live across the street from Science World, Roger’s Arena, surely these NIMBY’s can put up with lights.

I wonder how neighbours will react to the lighting at B.C. Place?

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Anonymous

This lighting display is a good idea but come on, it’s in a ridiculously stupid place and the people complaining have a right to be upset. It’s not like the display is located somewhere where anyone except for the people across or down the street can actually see it on the skyline. I don’t know about Rogers Arena, but the lights on Science World, unlike this ‘art display’, actually go off after midnight.
Wow

They live downtown what do people expect though? Plus they now shut off at 10pm and that still isn’t good enough for them apparently.
Jose

They should all move to Surrey and stare at the pit that is Whalley.
Mark

I think residents are upset because they feel their real estate values just dropped. This is Vancouver after all. I say bring back the neon signs. Do people who live near Granville complain of all the noise?? C’mon people you live DOWNTOWN!! Get over or move the hell out of here. Seriously.
Rachel

I live next door to this building and it doesn’t bother me at all. I don’t find it bright.
Chris

I live across the street and see it all the time. The lights don’t bother me. They’re LED for god sakes. What’s next telling people to not put up Christmas lights outside there house. These people need to shut up and move out of the city and into a bunker somewhere.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7GNMHHAYCDQ7TJ243ODG2KNWDU Kathleen

To be honest I live near Smithe and Cambie and the noise there is unreal…but it was loud at 11th and Burrard too. Vancouverites love ripping around in their expensive cars and making lots of noise. Can’t really avoid it! I’d much prefer lights to noise!
Anti-Nimby

I think these people who are complaining were just waiting for something to complain about. In a dark, grey, dreary city like Vancouver is some many months of the year, a shot of colour is a great reprieve. I look at these lights each and every night since they were turned on, and my view has been all the better because of it. It’s breathes life into the night, a sort of kind, warm, candle in the window feeling. I was disappointed when they started turning them off at 10:00pm. When you wake up in the middle of the night, and it’s dark and cold and winds are whipping around, it’s calming to see these colour lights holding court.
CoastalSprite

Why do these people choose to live downtown if things like lights bother them? Yeesh it’s not like a neighbourhood has to remain exactly the same for however long they live there! -_-
http://twitter.com/DubaiNoni alison Noni richards

I think the lights should be on full time.
Blair

gawd people stop your complaining … move to the middle of nowhere or shut your traps!
Resident

How would you like to live across the street from a 30 storey high billboard of flashing obscene lights? You can’t just look away from these and can’t ignore them. The residents of this neighbourhood have been here for decades….why the hell should we move from our homes? We were here first! This abomination is not art it is a constant annoying light show.
Also Resident

I suppose that it would be technically possible to describe the lights as “obscene”, since the definition does include “excess as to be offensive.” However, there are such things as blinds and window coverings. It’s also a good idea to use them at night, which is when I turn my telescope to peer into the windows across from the aforementioned lights. Now if you want to see obscene, I can show you some pictures of what the people in your building get up to in the glare of that 30 storey billboard.
Prince Sahu

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