Luminous Crossings uses sculpture to define the operational systems at the east and west gateway stations of the 7th Avenue light rail in Calgary, Alberta. The sculptures and station canopies are illuminated with LED light that change colors with the arrival, docking and departure of trains.
2014 saw the completion of Luminous Crossings, commissioned by Calgary Transportation Department, which demonstrates how art can become an integral part of everyday infrastructure. Each station is defined by four free standing 27’ high columns, two at each station end marking the City Hall and Kirby stations as the east and west gateways to Calgary’s downtown. Based on switching diagrams for train tracks, the sculptures take the form of a rotating X that defines their helical upward movement. They are programmed with full color changing LED light that is integrated into the infrastructure of Calgary’s light rail system, by changing color with the arrival, docking and departure of trains. A series of six hanging sculptures in each station canopy, reference chandeliers in Canadian Railway Hotels; these also change corresponding colors, allowing riders to anticipate the movement of transportation in the City.
The success of the project underlines Cliff Garten Studio’s commitment to how art can celebrate the purpose of infrastructure by becoming a working part of all types of urban infrastructure.
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