QUEEN STREET VIADUCT ILLUMINATION

No longer a humdrum 100-metre walk over the corridor, the steel truss bridge is a source of neighbourhood pride and a conversation piece.

Built in 1911, this historic bridge was renovated in the 1996 to add art created by Eldon Garnet- a clock, inscription and three metal “banners.” With the 2015 Pan Am Games as the catalyst, the local BIA seized the opportunity for a public/ private partnership to animate the structure that links the east end with the downtown core.

MBL designed a feature lighting system to bring the bridge and art to life at night, enhancing the inscription message without overpowering it. To highlight the bridge’s lettering, high-powered LED’s encapsulated in flexible housing were recessed in an extrusion mounted to the viaduct. The source is invisible, making the iron letters seem whimsical, as though they float lightly along the archway at night.

The remaining structure is lit with both an inner RGBA light and an outer warm white floodlight. Both powerful floodlight systems are mounted at the top of the structure and angled downward, and kept out of sight. This play of white and customizable colour luminaires exposes and highlights the inside of the Viaduct’s support beams, offering a new perspective on a piece of the bridge that would likely be overlooked during the day.

DMX controls the luminaires and features a wireless node that allows the owner to easily change the lighting from an iPad, eliminating the need to open an electrical cabinet.