Vancouver's Spinning Chandelier begins its scheduled daily spins this weekend
Approximately 1,000 people gathered under the north end of the Granville Street Bridge last week for the official unveiling of the Spinning Chandelier, demonstrating its illumination and mechanical whirling process.
Starting on Saturday, December 7, this kinetic public art piece will be activated every single day at two scheduled fixed times — at noon and 9 pm.
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The entire movement cycle lasts for about three minutes, with one minute for the chandelier’s slow descent, close to two minutes of spinning that reaches fast speeds, and another minute for the slow ascent to return to its starting position.
About 1,000 people out here at #VancouverHouse on a Wednesday night, watching the first spin of Rodney Graham’s #SpinningChandalier. It spins fast! @WestbankCorp #Vancouver #vanpoli #vanre #vancre #publicart pic.twitter.com/wt6leAOwqT
— Ken Chan (@iamkennethchan) November 28, 2019
This permanent activation of the chandelier follows final programming and testing conducted since the recent completion of the sculpture’s installation, which is suspended from the underside of the nearly-complete Vancouver House redevelopment.
The chandelier weighs 7,500 lb and measures 26 ft in height and 14 ft in width. LED lamps illuminate the sculpture’s 600 polyurethane faux crystals.
The Spinning Chandelier sculpture installed on the underside of the Granville Bridge next to Vancouver House. November 20, 2019. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)
Local artist Rodney Graham is behind the sculpture’s design, which is inspired by his 2005 35-mm-film installation Torqued Chandelier Release, depicting an 18th-century crystal chandelier after it is “wound up on a rope and released.”
A dynamic public art installation centrepiece is one of the key components of Vancouver House’s public realm upgrades in the space below the bridge.
Foot traffic from the ample new retail and restaurants, including London Drugs and Fresh St. Market, as well as University West Canada’s new campus for 3,200 students will also have a significant role in activating the area.
Local developer Westbank privately funded the complete cost of the installation as part of Vancouver House’s public art contribution mandated by the municipal government. The sculpture’s full cost was $4.8 million, higher than the original estimate of $1.2 million.
While the chandelier has sparked some controversy in recent days, it has the potential of becoming a popular attraction on its own, like the famous Gastown Steam Clock.
Vancouver city council approved Westbank’s public art design in 2015.
Construction nearing completion on Vancouver House. November 20, 2019. (Kenneth Chan / Daily Hive)
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