PEACE BRIDGE, FORT ERIE

Built in 1927, the Peace Bridge consists of five arched spans over the Niagara River and a Parker through-truss span over the Black Rock Canal on the American side of the river.

The lighting design concept for this project was to highlight the steel trusses and braces from within, thereby emphasizing the depth of the structural components. Through lighting animation and colour this static monument was transformed into a vibrant, ever-changing form expressive of the free-flowing movement that a bridge provides.

When engineering the lighting, MBII faced a number of challenges including a tight budget, concerns with sustainability, security and versatility. Extensive computer models and graphic animations were generated by in-house staff to test and simulate effects of various lighting options. The bridge lighting was ‘turned on’ in May 2009 with praise from the worldwide press.