Prisms of the Past

Peter Johannknecht

Beneath Victoria’s Broad Street lies a hidden layer of architectural history revealed through its distinctive sidewalk prisms. These small, often purple-tinted glass blocks are set into the pavement and were originally installed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to bring natural light into areaways—basement spaces that extend beneath the sidewalks.

The prisms filtered daylight into what were once bustling storage areas, workshops, and service corridors, transforming dark basements into more usable and safer environments.

Today, they serve both as functional daylighting elements and as subtle reminders of the city’s layered past. On Broad Street, they create a unique connection between the contemporary pedestrian experience and the urban fabric of old Victoria, blending beauty, innovation, and utility in a timeless detail.