As one of the tallest free-standing buildings in the world and a signature part of the Toronto skyline, the CN Tower is a popular tourist destination. It attracts over 2 million visitors from all over the world each year. The CN Tower gift shop is full of works by Indigenous artists, gifts from local designers, and CN Tower memorabilia.
II BY IV DESIGN teamed up with Salex to create a custom suspended lighting system above the retail area of the gift shop. The client and design team opted for a theme that was inspired by the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). A geometric metal sculpture was built throughout the store with a stunning LED-lighting display. One of the many challenges was the sophisticated DMX control system that commands the fifteen lighting “pods” with customized scenes maximizing the RGBW capabilities. This system is capable of controlling multiple DMX universes and over 3000 unique pointes. Each lighting “pod” can have an individual scene or be synced to perform together, creating a movement of light. This dazzling lighting installation captures Canada’s natural wonder and lives up to the iconic exterior lighting of the CN Tower.