Illuminated River

Selected by

Ed Vaizey, Political commentator

Ed Vaizey is a British politician, media columnist, political commentator and former barrister who served as Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries from 2010 to 2016. He is the Culture Editor of Country and Townhouse magazine.
Location

The River Thames, London Bridge to Lambeth Bridge.

0203 488 1099
www.illuminatedriver.london
Concept

Conceived by New York based artist Leo Villareal in collaboration with London based architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, Illuminated River is the first cohesive lighting vision on for the Thames bridges in central London, celebrating the structures as architectural, social and historical landmarks, and creating a symbolic link across the political, financial and cultural centres of the capital. At 3.2 miles in length, Illuminated River spans from London to Lambeth bridges, making it the longest public art commission in the world. It will last for at least 10 years and the Illuminated River Foundation will cover all maintenance, repair and electricity costs.

Illuminated River has refocused attention not only on the bridges but on surrounding public spaces, encouraging more people to enjoy the riverside areas and views of the river at night. Being outdoor, the artwork remained accessible throughout 2020 and 2021 in a Covid-safe manner.

The scale of this project reflects the importance of London’s night-time economy. The river is currently London’s least-used transport artery, and foot traffic across the bridges drops after dark: Illuminated River will encourage travel along and across the river at night, at street level, on foot and by boat. The hope is to encourage people to walk across the bridges instead of taking a bus or a cab, in line with TFL’s plan to make London a more walkable city.

In conjunction with Thames Clippers by Uber Boat there are boat tours, project talks, night sketching and photography competitions.
Interesting Facts

The River Thames, a 235 mile river, rises in the Cotswolds and flows west to east before meeting the North Sea. There are 34 bridges, the most recent being the Millennium Bridge which opened in 2000. Tunnels under the Thames include the most famous one at Rotherhithe, the Thames tunnel constructed by Marc and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Thames has played a vital role over the centuries in the development of London.
Resources

www.illuminatedriver.london

There has never been a better reason for taking a walk along the Thames - and it’s free and open!

Waterloo to Lambeth bridges for Illuminated River © Jason Hawkes

llluminated River is a long-term art installation transforming the Thames at night with an orchestrated series of light works that span nine bridges in central London. Its subtly moving sequences of LED light symbolically unify the Thames bridges, drawing inspiration from the spirit and history of the river and from the architectural and engineering heritage of its bridges.

Blackfriars, Waterloo, Westminster, Golden Jubilee Footbridge, Lambeth, London, Cannon Street Railway, Southwark and Millennium bridges are all part of an ambitious art project that is transforming the Thames.

Conceived by New York based artist Leo Villareal in collaboration with London based architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands following a public competition, site specific artworks show a subtle display of slowly moving lights sequences along the Thames.

Westminster Bridge for Illuminated River ©James Newton

Villareal’s vision is apparent the moment you wander down to the river. Here he has created a unified series of evocative lighting installations that reflect each bridge’s cultural and historical context, drawing on other artist’s visions of the Thames, most notably Monet and Whistler. The historic warm-hued columns that remain from the original railways bridge at Blackfriars Road Bridge have inspired the gentle combination of rose colours across its arches. A monochromatic scheme across the Golden Jubilee Footbridges mirrors Villareal’s approach to the other pedestrian bridge in the artwork, the Millennium Bridge.

Golden Jubilee, Westminster and Lambeth bridges for Illuminated River © Paul Crawley

Westminster and Lambeth Bridge bookend the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Palace of Westminster. Referencing the nearby benches of the debating chamber of the House of Comms, the unexpected (and often overlooked) details latticework undercroft of Westminster Bridge is illuminated in a soft green. Lambeth Bridge has a red flow in a nod to the benches of the House of Lords’ chamber as well as mirroring the red accents of the bridge’s railings and arches.

The vision for this philanthropically funded project has been made possible almost exclusively by four main benefactors – Arcadia, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Reuben Foundation and the Rothschild Foundation, with the support of the Mayor of London. Over the past five years, and despite all the challenges caused by the pandemic, the Illuminated River Foundation, led by director Sarah Gaventa, has managed to complete this bold project on time, and on budget – an impressive feat.

There is also a network of more than fifty stakeholders and project partners, including seven London boroughs, Transport for London and Network rail, as well as organisations such as Historic England, the London Wildlife Trust and the RNLI.

https://illuminatedriver.london/design

Completed Illuminated River artwork on Blackfriars, Waterloo, Golden Jubilee, Westminster and Lambeth bridges. Videography: Paul Crawley.

There has never been a better reason for taking a walk along the Thames - and it’s free and open!

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