TELUS Sky is a new landmark on the Calgary skyline. The mixed-use tower by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) offers 326 residential units over 28 floors. Notably, the project features a fully programmable LED light installation, titled Northern Lights, by Canadian author and artist Douglas Coupland.
Coupland integrates LED lighting around each window frame - or ‘pixel’ - of the building in an inverted L pattern. In total the façade features over 2.2km / 89,000 pixels of LED lighting. Coupland has created a series of animation sequences for the installation depicting the Aurora borealis in full motion and colour. Whether up close or from a distance, the soothing organic motion of the LED lighting bathes viewers in the sensation of being in Canada’s north. The organic curves of the building further help to amplify the motion of the light sequencing, creating a fully integrated experience. Northern Lights is programmed to play every day from approximately one hour before sunset until 11 pm (or 12 am during the summer months) and adjusts with the seasons.
In terms of environmental performance, TELUS Sky is a LEED Platinum showcase set to achieve a 30% reduction in energy demand by connecting to Calgary’s Enmax district thermal-energy system. The result of this move is an annual reduction of 395,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions. An 11-storey atrium and living green wall enhances the building’s air quality and helps to create a unique arrival experience for the building.
Interior design for the project was led by BIG, with B&B Italia furnishings for the residences.
Of note is that TELUS Sky is the sister structure to BIG’s Vancouver House, in Vancouver BC. However, where Vancouver House presents a new inverted typology, expanding as it rises, TELUS Sky, transforms from a rectangular base into a slender tower.
