)
The underbelly of a major Vancouver bridge is going to be transformed with a jaw-dropping piece of public art: a massive chandelier, made of polymer and LED lights, that will actually spin.
The public art project was approved by Vancouver's Public Art Committee and announced by developer Westbank Projects Corp. on Wednesday.
Created by renowned artist Rodney Graham, who was born in Abbotsford, B.C., the faux-crystal, 18th century chandelier will be installed under the Granville Street Bridge, which leads in and out of the city's downtown core.
"Hanging in the cathedral-like space of the bridge’s northern viaduct, directly over Beach Avenue, the chandelier is conceived to slowly rotate as it ascends," explained a press release from Westbank. "Then, once a day at a fixed time, it will release and spin rapidly, descending back to its starting point, coming to rest halfway to the road below."
The chandelier is part of the Vancouver House development, an even more jaw-dropping project by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. The twisting condo and retail tower is slated to be finished in 2018.
Story continues after slideshow:
Bjarke Ingels' Twisting Vancouver Tower
“This will change Vancouver,” Westbank president Ian Gillespie told The Vancouver Sun. “People are going to fly to Vancouver because of this piece.”
The chandelier will probably be made from polymer (like what is used for skateboard wheels) with LEDs embedded inside, reported The Sun.
Concept drawings for the spinning chandelier will be on display at the Gesamtkunstwerk exhibition which opens March 22 and runs through May 18.