When ringed with laser beams, San Francisco’s Coit Tower looks like a huge lava lamp… sans the scolding-hot surface temperatures.
The public light installations around San Francisco this summer are nothing short of awe-inspiring — an apt description given that the Illuminate, the nonprofit entity behind these pieces, has titled the multi-act project “Summer of Awe.” We’ve already glowed on about Sutro Towers basically looking like something pulled from the set of Beyonce’s current worldwide tour. But we’ve yet to wax on Coit Tower and how it doubled as a chromatic lantern this past weekend.
Last night for the #coitcandle and I cleared the way for the grand finale pic.twitter.com/ITATM7ikK6
— karl the fog (@KarlTheFog) July 17, 2023
Karl The Fog, being the omnipresent magician of madness he is, completely engulfed the display during its three-night run. The result? A gorgeously haunting glowstick permeated the fog; looking at the Coit Tower after dusk this past weekend was like observing a lava lamp glazed with condensation or an early morning haze.
If you didn’t have a chance to see it in person, don’t worry: Its presence lives on in perpetuity on the internet.
Here are some of our favorite pictures of San Francisco’s Coit Tower looking like a very big lantern (featuring lasers).
swooped down in time for the lighting ceremony
the #coitcandle has been lit pic.twitter.com/7u0KRV7GHB
— karl the fog (@KarlTheFog) July 15, 2023
Coit Tower Candle @IlluminatedArts #CoitTower #CoitTowerCandle #SanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/HO0QXmfeo4
— Mike Doeff (@mdoeff) July 16, 2023
