JOURNAL OF THE LONDON SOCIETY 2021
The Illuminated River project shines a light on the capital’s riverside evolution writes Sarah Gaventa
The artist takes inspiration from the natural and social activity of the Thames; boats and barges moving people and cargo, the traffic surrounding the bridges, and the ebb and flow of the tides. Translating this atmosphere using custom created software, Villareal’s patterns are organic and everevolving, never repeating or resolving into a single image. Once the nine bridges are all complete, the artwork will be 3.2 miles in length, making it the longest public art project in the world, seen more than 90 million times in a normal year
Change has always been at the heart of the Illuminated River project, which is transforming our perceptions of the Thames and, more importantly, the bridges that cross it in central London. Illuminated River is a long-term free art installation, supported by the Mayor of London, which transforms the capital at night with an orchestrated series of light works that currently includes nine bridges. In spring 2021, the original four bridges were joined by another five in the political and cultural centre of London, from London Bridge to Lambeth Bridge. The project’s subtly moving sequences of LED light symbolically unify London’s Thames bridges, drawing inspiration from the spirit of the river and from the architectural and engineering heritage of its bridges.
Led by the Illuminated River Foundation, the project involves a unique and longlasting collaboration of statutory bodies, local authorities and communities. The artwork is the result of one of the most detailed and extensive pan-London planning processes the capital has ever seen, involving five different bridge owners and spanning seven boroughs and two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Tower of London and the Palace of Westminster. It has been developed in consultation and collaboration with over 50 organisations on and around the river, and seven local authorities from whom 30 planning permissions and 18 listed building consents have been granted. Unlike HS2 or Tideway, this was achieved without the benefit of an Act of Parliament!
The artwork is created by internationally renowned New York-based artist Leo Villareal, working with London-based project architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands. It draws attention to the bridges across the Thames and brings to life aspects of the city after dark. Programming his artwork on site like a plein air painter, Villareal’s light compositions mimic the ever-changing movement of the river, using shifting hues drawn from the London sky at sunset and by moonlight. 8
LS-LSJ-475-Journal Layout-Flat plan.indd 8
12/05/2021 10:41:13
