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Maple Leaf Square - Canopy

Maple Leaf Square - Canopy

United Visual Artists Ltd.
Founded 2003

Maple Leaf Square - Canopy
  • LED lighting
  • 2010
  • 90 m long
  • 15 York Street, Toronto

About the artwork

Inspired by the experience of walking through a forest’s dappled light, Canopy is a 90 metre long light sculpture spanning the front facade of the Maple Leaf Square Tower in Toronto. This permanent architectural installation uses thousands of identical modules, organised in a non-repeating growth pattern. Their form is abstracted from the geometry of leaves. A combination of daylight and artificial light sweeping through the work recalls the activity of cells moving within a leaf, or leaves rustling across a forest canopy.

The canopy uses modular units which are frame mounted to hold each individual LED and lens component. There are 8200 modules that display a synchronized pattern through use of computer controlled digital signal output.

The canopy is suspended by a stainless steel cabling system beneath 1/4” thick glass panels. The framework is powder coated steel and the modules are anodized aluminium extrusions with each module placed individually into the framework. The canopy is approximately 300’ long and 10’ wide.

About the artist

Inspired by the experience of walking through a forest’s dappled light, Canopy is a 90 meter long light sculpture spanning the front facade of the Maple Leaf Square building in Toronto, Canada. This permanent architectural installation uses thousands of identical modules, organised in a non-repeating growth pattern. Their form is abstracted from the geometry of leaves. A combination of daylight and artificial light sweeping through the work recalls the activity of cells moving within a leaf, or leaves rustling across a forest canopy. The canopy uses modular units which are frame mounted to hold each individual LED and lens component. There are 8200 modules overall that display a synchronized pattern through use of computer controlled digital signal output. The canopy is suspended by stainless steel cabling system beneath 1/4” thick glass panels. The framework is powder coated steel and the modules are anodized aluminium extrusions with each module placed individually into the framework. The canopy is approximately 300’ long and 10’ wide.

Fun facts

  • The bridge is part of the PATH, a mostly underground pedestrian walkway network in downtown Toronto that spans more than 30 kilometres of restaurants, shopping, services and entertainment.
  • More than 200,000 residents and workers use the PATH daily, a challenge for utilitarian public art integration.

Engagement questions

  • How does this help you consider the connection between art and nature?