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Lighting designer Gilles Arpin of Éclairage Public(Montreal) has prepared recommendations to illuminate historic buildings, streetscapes and façades on downtown’s Portage Avenue. Éclairage Public was selected in 2007 to put together a proposal to enliven Portage Avenue at night through special lighting techniques, to give downtown Winnipeg a distinctive nocturnal image. The plan was requested by the Downtown BIZ, Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, CanWest Global Corporation, Investors Group, Manitoba Hydro and other businesses and property owners, with assistance from the Winnipeg Partnership Agreement.  Check out a pdf of the proposal. The next step is advocating for funding from the government and working with the building owners to make the vision a reality. The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and partners are seeking support from the City and Province for a tri-partite funding agreement with Portage Avenue property owners on the $8 million project. The plan provides a blueprint on how others can install lighting on different types of buildings—historic or modern—as well as City light standards and even what buildings are suitable for video screens. Arpin’s firm, Éclairage Public, was responsible for the stunning illumination of the historic buildings of Old Montreal. The firm aims to draw people out onto the streets by using lighting to create a mix of drama and warmth in public spaces. First building lights up - May 29, 2008 The first building on Portage Avenue was lit up on Thursday, May 29, at dusk as part of the Portage Avenue Lighting Plan. The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and property owner Paul Walsh shone a new light on their historic building following a presentation by urban lighting expert Gilles Arpin at Edmonton Court in Portage Place. The specially-designed lights are a first for Portage Avenue because they are embedded in the sidewalk on City property, as well as from a street light. The lights showcase the historic architectural features of the 82-year-old Bank of Montreal building, including the Tyndall-stone façade and columns. The total cost of $11,000 was split 50/50 between property owner Paul Walsh and tenant Downtown BIZ. “This is an excellent example of a property owner stepping up to the plate to invest in properly lighting his historic building in a dramatic way,” says Stefano Grande, Downtown BIZ executive director. “This demonstration gives a taste of what all of Portage could look like if other property owners and the government come together to cost share the initiative.” “We are pleased to be part of this project to light up downtown,” says lawyer Paul Walsh, with Walsh & Company. “In purchasing this historic building, we made a distinct decision to be part of preserving and enhancing downtown’s heritage. We see this new lighting project as the next step to profiling the great history of downtown Winnipeg, and especially the historical significance of Portage Avenue.” A second pilot will take place in an Impark parking lot at Ellice and Notre Dame avenues, across from the Burton Cummings Theatre. It will demonstrate how colourful lighting can make what is not aesthetically appealing—in this case, a surface parking lot—into a more attractive and interesting part of downtown. “These two examples show what property owners can do collaboratively to create a nocturnal brand for downtown,” says Grande. “The lighting plan profiles our stunning built heritage and creates a more illuminated environment, as well as enhancing the perceptions of safety and image of our downtown.” Printed in the Winnipeg Free Press June 1, 2008 Let’s light up our downtown! Stefano Grande, Downtown BIZ Executive Director If you have ever had the wonderful experience of walking during the evening in cities like Rome or Paris, or, closer to home, Lyon or Montreal, then you can easily understand the importance and value of properly and dramatically lighting buildings, architectural features and sidewalks of city centres. All these cities have nocturnal images which not only highlight the incredible and historical buildings in their town centre, but do so in a manner that demonstrates community values and pride. This in turn drives city tourism, more downtown visits, and eventually increased local business if coordinated with revitalization efforts. Using enhanced lighting in a town centre to add to the quality of life of citizens has been well documented in other cities. Over the past year and a half, Éclairage Public, the premier lighting consultant responsible for lighting Old Montréal, was hired by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ and our partners to develop a plan for Downtown Winnipeg. The goal was to create our own unique integrated lighting program, adapted to our context, which would distinguish itself from other cities and mirror the success other cities have seen. With the support of a group of Portage Avenue property owners and funding from the public sector, the plan has been completed. It paints a clear and exciting vision for Winnipeg’s own downtown nocturnal image. A presentation by Éclairage Public will be made for those interested in Edmonton Court, Portage Place on Thursday, May 29 at 8:30pm. Through developing this plan, we have learned that we can better light our sidewalks for pedestrians, while saving energy and increasing luminance to enhance safety. Both our contemporary and historical buildings are incredible assets which, when all lit properly, can together create a brand Winnipeggers would be proud of. We learned there are some signature downtown office towers which can be dramatically lit with colourful LED lights to create a fun environment. We learned that while Times Square may not be a fit for Winnipeg, a few strategically-placed building-sized LCD screens would go a long way. We also learned how we can take our aesthetically unpleasing surface parking lots and turn them into colourful wayfinding systems, until the day they are developed into something more. We contemplated the opportunity presented by the abundance of historic fresco murals high up on the sides of heritage buildings, just waiting to be lit up for display to a generation of Winnipeggers to learn about the downtown of yesterday. Most importantly, what we have learned is that when the private sector and the public sector join forces and plan for a better downtown, there is much hope, passion and vision, perhaps unsurpassed in any city I have personally visited in North America. Downtown property owners and our BIZ members are excited about this plan. There is much excitement in our downtown, with millions more visiting today than five years ago, and more to come with the renewal of North Main Street, the expansion at both the University of Winnipeg and Red River College, and the selling out of virtually all the new housing lofts in our downtown. Perhaps it is time to look at ways of further enhancing downtown image and safety, in a manner that brings our downtown together, through lighting. Old Montreal accomplished their plan in a decade with the public sector funding the entire plan. Imagine in 10 years with more reasons for people to come downtown to live, work and play, what a nocturnal image could mean for our downtown. Let’s not lose this opportunity, hope and vision for our future. Let’s make this happen, together with property owners and the public sector. Let’s keep the momentum of downtown revitalization going, on all fronts. Let’s light up our downtown! |
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