At 78 storeys tall, Aura Condos by Canderel is Canada’s tallest residential tower. The complex houses 985 suites, a 40,000 square foot fitness centre, a fifth floor rooftop terrace and 190,000 square feet of prime retail space within its five storey podium.
Standing 273 meters above Toronto’s vibrant Yonge Street and Gerrard Street corridor, the tower has become a prominent fixture in the city’s skyline. Now, Aura will stand out even more in Toronto’s skyline with the introduction of its signature lighting feature. Consisting of a series of vertical LED strips, the lights illuminate the top floors of the Graziani + Corazza Architects-designed tower from 8pm to 10pm every night and is a welcome addition to the Toronto skyline and beyond.
BuzzBuzzHome News spoke with Barry Graziani, Principal at Graziani + Corazza Architects to find out more about the new lights.
BuzzBuzzHome: What was the inspiration for the “light strips” design, and how long are they?
Barry Graziani: The inspiration for the design stems from the desire to recall the sculpted form of the tower seen by day in a subtle outline at night. The vertical strips all start from the top of the curved roof form, and extend downwards at varying, random lengths. We did not want to place a “spot light” illuminating or highlighting the tower top, as is quite commonly done. By visually connecting the tops of the lighting strips, the curved tower form is recreated, even though the tower itself is not very visible.
BBH: What type of lights are they and how energy efficient are they?
BG: The lighting source is LED. This type of lighting was chosen due to its energy efficiency, as well as the long life cycle of the fixtures
BBH: Do the lights change colour?
BG: It was always intended for the lights to be white, and only white.
BBH: Do the lights blink?
BG: No.
BBH: Do the lights bother residents?
BG: No light emitted affects the resident, nor does the light emitted spread into the suites due to customized mullion design which allows for the lighting fixture to be embedded, directing the lighting outwards.
