Turn up the lights, Soda City.
Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, which means we will gain an hour + a little extra sunlight. There is no update on the Daylight Saving bill — which would change the state law so South Carolina wouldn’t participate in the time change like Arizona + Hawaii — we told you about in October, the last time we changed the clocks. But before that happens, let’s take a look at how the capital city looks after the sun goes down.
Sure, we know South Carolina has some of the most stunning sunsets, but our skyline + other areas around the Soda City are pretty stellar at night too.
When you see the skyline at night, a few sights might catch your attention.
Main Street
- Standing at 349 feet, the Capital Center Building (you might recognize the BB&T signage on this one) is the tallest in downtown Columbia since it was built in 1987.
- Before that, from 1983 to 1987, the tallest building in Columbia + South Carolina was what is now the Hub, which is now primarily used for student housing. Measuring in at 325 feet, it is currently the second-tallest in the capital city and third-tallest building in South Carolina.
- Further up on Main Street, the third-tallest building in Columbia is the building that features blue lights at night at the Bank of America Plaza, which comes to approx. 305 feet.
- The Tower at Main and Gervais is the newest building in our skyline, added in 2009, and stands 278 feet tall.
Segra Park
Attending a Columbia Fireflies baseball game under the lights of Segra Park is a bright spot in the springtime for Soda Citizens. All of the overhead directional signage, including the Mason Jar store signage, was constructed with a special material called Sensitile to give the appearance of fireflies synchronizing (think Congaree National Park). The overhead stadium lights were designed in a way that almost no light escapes the ballpark walls for night games.
On average, a Fireflies fireworks show is approx. eight minutes long. That time typically doubles for special nights, like Opening Night (happening May 11) + July 4. The park will be releasing its promotional schedule (which will include fireworks nights) at the beginning of April.
Green Eyes
In 2020, the Congaree Vista Guild + Lewis and Clark unveiled a new public art piece titled ‘Green Eyes’. The glowing green eyes you can see in the Vista inspired the name of the artwork that was installed for the 38th anniversary of Artista Vista. The sculpture is a continuation of the Robot Series that can be found in the NOMA district at Studio 2LR.
Gervais Street Bridge
The Gervais Street Bridge is one of the most iconic images that represents Cola, with its incredible view of the city’s skyline. In pre-pandemic times, it also hosted the annual bridge dinners, evenings of music with Rhythm on the River + other events. The current bridge was built in 1928 and crosses over the Congaree River.
Capstone building
Home to Capstone Scholars students, this UofSC campus building is a well-known landmark with classrooms, community kitchens, and the moving Top of Carolina restaurant on the top floor.
Williams-Brice Stadium
Every fall Gamecock football fans know they can experience at least one home game under the lights at Willy B. The football stadium can hold up to 80,000 ] and when the lights come on, the stadium can be seen from miles away. Recently, the university made approx. $22.5 million in upgrades to the stadium ,including some new audio-visual improvements. The in-stadium projects will include new ribbon boards, LED lights + eventually, a new video board.
