Celebration Square (C-Square)

Celebration Square (C-Square) Plaza is a compact urban public space created to connect and engage the heart of Calgary’s new East Village neighbourhood, located in a challenging location where major streets and surface LRT lines converge. The lighting design goals were to create a comfortably illuminated plaza with a sculptural installation containing reactive lighting effects; thereby becoming an after-dark point of interest and shared experience for pedestrians, motorists, and transit riders simultaneously.

Installed along the square’s west side run of the LRT tracks is a custom series of 60 sculptural elements composed of varying angled poles, topped with metal mesh fins. Inside the mesh fins are linear LED lights connected to sensors aimed at approaching LRTs. Generally, at night, the lights remain on, providing visual interest and a sense of a border between the plaza and LRT tracks. When the sensors detect a train approaching from the North or South, the veil is triggered to dim and send a slow pulse-wave of light along the sculpture’s length in the same direction as the passing LRT. Further, the park is designed to accommodate musical performances on a small stage. The sculptural fin lighting is designed to process music input by reacting to decibel levels and rhythm with various pulse and wave effects.