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PL & P
Streaming into the City
Coquitlam , BC ’ s Pinetree Way Enhancement Project
By Andrew King
The eye-catching 15-m light column that currently graces the main entrance of Coquitlam , BC ’ s City Hall is a perfect embodiment of the Pinetree Way Enhancement Project of which it was a part . The cast aluminum cladding at the base of the column closely resembles the bark of a pine tree , though extending from it is a sleek , curved cylinder of 360-degree LED lighting – essentially a hybrid of nature and human engineering .
Fittingly , the central concept of the $ 14-million Pinetree Way Enhancement Project was “ Nature in the City ,” with one of its central goals being the creation a greener , more attractive , and welcoming gateway to the city centre . Coinciding with the TransLink Millenium Line ’ s Evergreen Extension and its new Coquitlam Central station , the project was also intended to improve traffic flow and safety for pedestrians , drivers , and transit riders going through the community hub .
ISL Engineering and Land Services , which boasts offices throughout B . C ., Alberta , and Saskatchewan , was the landscape architect behind the
LED light column at Coquitlam City Hall
project . The firm tapped Vancouver ’ s Eos Lightmedia to design the various creative lighting features that , in addition to the city hall light column and its identical counterpart at the other end of Pinetree Way , include environmentally-triggered guideway lighting , the illumination of a structural sculpture dubbed The Branches , and more .
Ultimately , the end result is a streetscape that ’ s equal parts appealing and functional and that invites Coquitlam ’ s residents and visitors to walk , cycle , explore , and gather in this central location , balancing the area ’ s natural beauty with development , technology , and human creativity .
Coquitlam is one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver and , like many urban centres in the lower mainland , is wrapped in B . C .' s pristine landscapes . As Eos Lightmedia Senior Designer Steve Bedard explains , the Pinetree Way Enhancement Project ’ s overall theme of “ Nature in the City ” extended directly to the various lighting features , which play on the themes of trees , water , and generally , a natural flow for the guideway lighting and everything motion-based .
“ ISL had the idea for illuminated features along the corridor , and illuminating the guideway itself with a unique effect ,” Bedard shares . “ We worked with them and their electrical contractors , Bay Hill Contracting , to create and implement these special events that happen along the way .”
Some of those events are automatically triggered by variables like the type and flow of traffic ; others – specifically The Stream – are deliberately triggered by passersby . In either case , the effects are remarkably engaging , and increase the level and lifespan of intrigue for the project as a whole .
26 | Summer 2018