Alien Hieroglyphics in Downtown Cleveland

Illuminated patterns that look like alien hieroglyphics, projected onto the blank wall of a tall building in a city

May 16th, 2004, by Alex Zorach

While waiting for the bus in downtown Cleveland, just north of Public Square, my attention was grabbed by these strange-looking illuminated patterns shining on the bare wall of this building, which lies at the SW corner of Ontario and St. Clair.

My first impression was that these patterns look like alien hieroglyphics, but I then realized that they were produced by the sun reflecting off the old stone church. My sense of direction was also a bit confused, I always think of Ontario running north-south but it actually runs northwest-southeast, so the setting sun at this time was reflecting off the church in a natural way, projecting the light onto this bare wall. You can also view a closeup of these "alien hieroglyphics".