The Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza (Formally)

Lead Designers Steve Bedard

Entry Description

Design team: Nick Milkovich Architects Inc., Matthew Soules Architecture, Hapa Collaborative (Landscape Architect)

The plaza formally known as the Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza, is a civic space in Vancouver. A new name was given by the Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish First Nations to refer to a place where cultural gatherings are held. The lighting concept was to integrate soft illumination on the plaza to invite gathering, while providing dramatic illumination to the form and decorative fins on the pavilion roof.

The challenge illuminating the architectural form and lofty fins included lighting them evenly top to bottom while concealing the source. Linear grazing LEDs with precision asymmetrical wall wash optic provided the best coverage. Precise focusing reduced glare and light spill. Each foot of the upper lighting was individually addressed and dimmed through a DMX interface; the underside lighting was relayed on. These controls provided opportunity for maximizing energy savings while allowing users of the plaza to interface with the pavilion, through a standard console, to suit any event. A dynamic light show on the fins is played every hour.

Company Description

Eos Lightmedia is a specialty design-integration firm that pushes the boundaries with light and technology to transform the built environment. Our award-winning team uses the latest speciality lighting, audiovisual, sensing and controls technology to create lasting experiences that inspire.

With our head office located in Vancouver, Canada, we are a team made up of expert lighting and audiovisual designers, software developers, project managers, a quotations team, and commissioning & programming agents and site supervisors based throughout North America.