Some photos from a week ago, November 11th.
I understand the view that the lights might be a bit tacky, too intense, too much, etc., and I'm still getting used to them, but I saw them the other night and personally they're working for me on the whole. I like the vibrancy in this often bleak, grey city and I thought it was great in counterpoint with the lighting on the CN Tower as well. Or seen through other buildings or from a distance from different vantage points it really catches the eye and adds life.
I really like how this building is defining the plaza and area around Union Station and the lighting accentuates this even more at night. With this and other towers going up in the area, Union's really starting to feel in the dense city in a really cool way. Seeing the urban canyon emerging down Front is very great too and gives depth to the city.
The lighting pattern went through a white light mode where it moved around the tower in a pattern (hard to capture on camera), the pink/purple and green mode above (with some segments of light in the middle missing/seeming a darker red and not quite working right yet — unless perhaps intentional) and then this green and white mode below which also looks great (some lighting segments seemed to be missing — again unless artistic choice can't quite tell, or maybe some will be perpetually missing on this like Aura
). Will be interesting to see how it looks when the TD logos are lit up.
Saw it peaking through as well from the Esplanade and Yonge:
This will be an interesting vantage point to see this building looking past CIBC Square 2's glass diamonds. This whole junction here where the Esplanade ends will be much improved from a connectivity point once this opens up and this building will be neat to see while walking through this space in the future.
The contrast is significant here between the bright modern city lights and and the warm tones and old architecture of Union Station and the Royal York. I can see why it's a bit controversial, but I like the contrast and its electric vibrance.