West Pender Place | 104m | 34 fl | Completed

[vanman]

It says in the Sun article that Peters posted that the lights will be dimmed after 12am so as to not disturb local residents, but they're on 24 hours a day.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by logan5

Retro fit these lights on all the residential towers in downtown and our night time skyline would look crazy. I'm not sure if it would be a good crazy or a bad crazy though.

Ask Hong Kong. :p

• Video Link




This is an amazing lighting feature. So if there are two columns, I'm interpreting that it's on two sides of the building?

[djh]

Originally Posted by mr.x

Ask Hong Kong. :p



This is an amazing lighting feature. So if there are two columns, I'm interpreting that it's on two sides of the building?

Whilst the Hong Kong lighting effects may be beautiful and all, I think anybody in downtown Vancouver living in a condo and surrounded by other condos with flashing light shows 24 hours a day (such as the West Pender Place one) would have a right to be annoyed. Light pollution is quite serious. It's not a big deal if a few spaced-out buildings do this, but if it becomes a huge trend, you'd be looking at a very bright night-time view, right up against people's sleeping quarters.

"Oh just close your blinds" you may say. Well, yes you could, but why should you have to? If all new condos started having a sound feature, should we allow it and tell all existing area residents to stop complaining and close their windows?

Like I said, I actually enjoy the Hong Kong light show. But I'd bet most of those buildings are commercial, so after say 7pm they are not affecting people's residences too much, as opposed to downtown Vancouver, where many of the tall towers *are* residential and that amount of night-time lighting would bug people.

Perhaps if it was allowed mostly along the shoreline where it was facing away from people's homes, then it would make a good aesthetic view and not be a light nuisance.

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by djh

"Oh just close your blinds" you may say. Well, yes you could, but why should you have to? If all new condos started having a sound feature, should we allow it and tell all existing area residents to stop complaining and close their windows?

This argument sounds surprisingly like the people who move downtown and then complain about noise after 10PM.

Personally I feel that if you're sensitive to light you should have blackout curtains or an sleeping mask and if you're sensitive to urban noises you should probably invest in a pair of earplugs.

p.s. I don't think there's anything to worry about re: Vancouver becoming a HK light show.

[vanman]

^I agree 100%. If anything you adjust to the noise and light levels, at least that's been my experience. I moved downtown 3 months ago and my bedroom overlooks Granville st. Police sirens blaring at 3am no longer wake me up, and I started sleeping with my blinds open. I figure I'm paying for the view I might as well fully enjoy it.

[djh]

^That's not quite the gist I'm getting at - and I'm the polar opposite of a NIMBY, by the way.

What I'm saying is, and to elaborate on your points: If you move to an area that already is a certain way, you are wrong to complain or ask it to change. However, if you move to an area that is currently a certain way - and all reasonable research indicates it intends to remain that way - you have EVERY RIGHT to complain if it is unexpectedly changed and therefore compromises your enjoyment of your property.

I think if the city has passed a bylaw allowing light art on all buildings without any restrictions to the effects on people's views, then fair enough, expect one to go in opposite your condo. If it hasn't passed that bylaw, you buy a condo, and then suddenly all of the condos outside of your window have lights that keep you awake all night, I think it would be reasonable for you to complain that the lights are reduced to certain hours or something similar.

As somebody said, it's unlikely to happen, and as I said I personally like the lights on WPP, but who knows with precedents?

[jlousa]

Walked by WPP again yesterday morning, and I have to say they did an incredible job with this one. The lights are great as is the tower form but what really strikes me is how well it meets the street. It's hard to put a finger on what it is that makes it pop, but it does. Walking around the 3 sides you just get the feeling that this one nailed it.

[SpongeG]

across the street from the light wall though is commercial or retail no residential - the closest residential is south of gergia i think and they are far enough away not to be that affected

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by vanman

^I agree 100%. If anything you adjust to the noise and light levels, at least that's been my experience. I moved downtown 3 months ago and my bedroom overlooks Granville st. Police sirens blaring at 3am no longer wake me up, and I started sleeping with my blinds open. I figure I'm paying for the view I might as well fully enjoy it.

So true. I used to live on Kingsway near Fraser, which is basically like a highway all day and night.

It only ever kept me awake the first night I moved in. Human beings are quite adaptable.

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by djh

and that amount of night-time lighting would bug people.

Mostly the ones with too much time on their hands to stare out their windows and fume about it. If your concern is something like getting good night's sleep, you should be getting blackout curtains and a sleep mask because they're the only things that will block out as much light as possible -- and sleeping in the pitch black is the best thing you can do for yourself (increases melatonin). Even if all the condos in your area were to go pitch black at midnight, you'd still get ambient light coming through the windows (eg, moonlight) and it's known that even small amounts of ambient light can degrade the quality of your sleep (even if you're not aware of it).

[vanman]

Found some pics of WPP and the new lighting at night:







http://blog.buzzbuzzhome.com/2011/07/magic-of-light-400000-led-feature-on.html

[phesto]

The complaints about the lights are now well underway!

On Global last night there was a story about residents in the blue condo tower across the street (South side of Pender) who are organizing to file a petition or potentially lawsuit to have the lights shut off permanently.

[LotusLand]

Originally Posted by phesto

The complaints about the lights are now well underway!

On Global last night there was a story about residents in the blue condo tower across the street (South side of Pender) who are organizing to file a petition or potentially lawsuit to have the lights shut off permanently.

The lights do no damage to one if they don't stare directly at it. They don't beam into ones living room at all? Atleast not in my buddies condo across the street. He actually likes them but said it would have been better if the lights faced north as it would be cooler to see from Stanley Park.

On that note, let expect complaints about BC place, The residences at Hotel Georgia and the new Bentall 6 tower as well once complete.

I hope the city just ignores them on this one.

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by LotusLand

The lights do no damage to one if they don't stare directly at it. They don't beam into ones living room at all? Atleast not in my buddies condo across the street. He actually likes them but said it would have been better if the lights faced north as it would be cooler to see from Stanley Park.

On that note, let expect complaints about BC place, The residences at Hotel Georgia and the new Bentall 6 tower as well once complete.

I hope the city just ignores them on this one.

No wonder the lights are now off at midnight (not dimmed, but totally off). Embiciles with too much time on their hands -- all of them.

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by EdinVan

No wonder the lights are now off at midnight (not dimmed, but totally off). Embiciles with too much time on their hands -- all of them.

I'd say the city should do something to counteract this NIMBYISM, but I'm afraid that IDIOTS would still likely fight these things in court.

Unless a certain critical mass is reached in a hury, lighting effects in Vancouver are doomed.

[EdinVan]

Originally Posted by sacrifice333

I'd say the city should do something to counteract this NIMBYISM, but I'm afraid that IDIOTS would still likely fight these things in court.

Unless a certain critical mass is reached in a hury, lighting effects in Vancouver are doomed.

On a positive note, I've noticed that the lights on the HSBC building on Georgia and Bute are now turned on well past midnight -- shining directly in the windows of the condo owners across the street. At one point, the monkeys had threatened to sue HSBC if they kept the lights on past midnight. I hope some of them are tossing and turning in bed right now. Maybe they'll get angry enough and move to the suburbs where they belong.

[TwoFace]

Not that long ago, the marketing spin was GO GREEN.
Now I notice that most of the bigger Developers and Marketers are back to driving Bentleys and Ferrari's and we keep our light on 24/7.

[dleung]

A nice pic on flickr:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5182/5647271813_fff3043294_b.jpg

Having just got back from a Richard Roger tour in London, I can't help but feel that many of the exposed cores on our skinny side-loaded towers (West Pender Place, Flatiron, Sapphire), have been wasted opportunities.

Instead of having LED lighting that serves no purpose other than aesthetics, maybe something like this will actually animate the streetscape better:


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/3009994995_ef93d38017_z.jpg?zz=1 http://www.mitsubishi-elevator.com/project/hall_designs/pop/images/large_wood88.jpg

Exposed concrete instead of steel would look better in Vancouver tho.

[officedweller]

I can't see a condo strata paying for the maintenace and upkeep of an exterior elevator (although one is proposed for that project on West 7th (?)). i.e. The Hyatt used to have an exterior elevator (on the Burrard side, you can still see the slot for it) but it hasn't been in operation for years.

[jlousa]

Sounds like a compromise is close at hand regarding the lightning. Hopefully we hear some positive news shortly.