Like many people in Vancouver, I have been waiting for the new Mount Pleasant Community Centre to be completed. It is an innovative development since it also includes a new rental housing project developed by the City. It has been a long time coming and will be a great addition to the neighbourhood.But I was very disappointed to see the building at night. As evidenced by the photo above, the bright neon (CORRECTION: fluorescent, thanks Jon) light emanating from the work station lamps is very disturbing and most unfortunate. The fact is, more attention needs to be given to how buildings look at night since it is dark much of the time. Vancouver architects could learn from other cities where night lighting is much better thought out. Even on 'sustainable buildings'. This one needs to be fixed!
POSTSCRIPT I Recently was walking along Hastings Street and came across the Birks Building with its new lighting...now this is a successful effort!
4 comments:
Agreed. I think even Calgary is heading in the right direction, though I'm not sure where their program is at:
http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Roads/Streetlights/EnviroSmart+Streetlight+Retrofit/FAQs.htm#1
Michael:
I will pass on your comments ... maybe we need a site visit with the various parties involved. I appreciate that it is always better to anticipate 'issues' ahead of time but to ignore concerns is not helpful.
Christopher JK Richardson, FCA,
Vice-President, Mount Pleasant Community Centre Association.
H/O 604 731 4781 Cell 604 218 0981
Michael:
Its not neon but fluorescent light that's unattractive at 1 Kingsway.
Neon lighting can be lovely, fluorescent never.
And the frequent semantic confusion between neon and fluorescent light results in neon signs being undervalued.
Inside a fluorescent light tube is low-pressure mercury vapor, and the tube itself is coated with a phosphor -- electricity ionizes the mercury vapor which emits ultraviolet light and the phosphor converts this light to visible light.
Neon light tubes are uncoated and contain neon, argon, or krypton and the gases themselves produces visible, usually coloured, light when ionized. (No phosphor coating the neon tube.)
Neon lighting tubes are often bent, fluorescent tubes are generally straight.
Neon signs to my eye are often lovely; back lit fluorescent signs, I think. should be banned.
For an article on neon in Vancouver http://www.vancouversun.com/Bright+lights+city+Remembering+Vancouver+historic+neon+glory/2221273/story.html
Jon, you are absolutely right and I have corrected the post. Thanks
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