Anybody out and about on one of Toronto’s east-west streets today between approximately 4-6pm surely noticed that the sunset is perfectly aligned with those streets right now. It makes it impossible to see west as there are few buildings for the sun to hide behind, but it makes for a strange and beautiful end-of-the-world fireball effect. At King and Spadina the sun was reflecting off the giant building-sized iPod ad, turning everything in the vicinity red. These pictures probably don’t do the weird atmosphere justice, but everything — my hands, the asphalt, the cars, the Budget rental building, chunks of snow, even my iPod — were all unnaturally red. Even the air, it seemed. Just like those sci-fi movies set on Mars that use lights that give everything a red tinge. I wasn’t even paying particular attention to my surroundings at the moment — suddenly the world was just red.
8 comments
Let’s hope some time we actually notice that the cars have taken over about half the wide King sidewalk on this south side – and if not there, then around there. It’s quite clear by looking east and seeing where the building lot line is.
Just one of those little details of what’s not right that’s been lurking low-down on my “letter-to-write” list for a few years, but it really is a prime example of how “carrupted” our public space is.
Maybe now there might be someone else that sees enough red on this one to boot the cars off ped space as I clearly haven’t gotten around to it.
Thinking forward. Soon, these patterns and colour washes wont touch the ground, as we lose our sky to hyper-intensification on Queen and King Streets, and Spadina Ave, to name a few.
That billboard is, totally unsurprisingly, illegal. From IllegalSigns.ca:
“409 King West: A 450 square meter fascia sign facing west is being illegally operated under Mural permit 94-360960. City Council rejected the variance for this fascia sign in 1995”
http://illegalsigns.ca/?p=2099
Jonothan is right. But, the hue is pretty cool I must admit. The sign’s been illegally there for over a decade.
There goes Shawn basking in the glow of corporate rays again. Maybe he didnt get enough on Yonge Street last fall ! You would love living in Vegas. : )
I miss that! I just moved away and I loved how the sun aligned with the streets twice a year. Not the safest, but cool.
To bask implies you enter into something willingly, and enjoy it. This was against my will — but it was interesting. Bask also implies warmth, which it was not.
I don’t think I’d want to live in Vegas, too car oriented (and the TV shows are on at different times in the West) but I’d for sure like to visit it one day to see those lights. Have you read Robert Venturi’s “Learning from Las Vegas”?
http://www.tenbyten.net/vegas.html
Magnificent book.
I’m happy living with Las Vegas being out there in the desert, existing as it exists, and having millions flock to it. Just as I can live with Dundas Square’s bright lights, as long as Dundas Square stays in Dundas Square. And the hundreds of thousands seem to flock to it. There’s room for everybody in Toronto.
Looks pretty cool! It reminds me of those odd days that only happen once or twice a year where the sky turns everything a crazy colour, usually a very bright yellow or pink.