Page 174 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

Above: Westminster Bridge, Illuminated River © James Newton

Villareal’s vision was to create a unified lighting concept to refocus attention on the
Thames bridges, illuminating their separate identities while respecting the architecture and
engineering of each structure. His approach draws on the spirit of artists from English
Romantics to Impressionists, referencing for example Monet and Whistler whose paintings
immortalise London’s river and its bridges in washes of colour and light.

A gentle combination of rosy colours extends across the arches of Blackfriars Road Bridge,
citing the warm-hued remaining columns of the now removed old railway bridge. Waterloo
Bridge, the longest bridge in central London, has been enhanced by a simple line of light,
introducing pastel washes of colour to illuminate its central spine. Across the Golden
Jubilee Footbridges, a monochromatic scheme complements the walkways designed by
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands in 2002, mirroring Villareal’s approach to the other
pedestrian bridge in the artwork – Millennium (illuminated in July 2019).

As ‘bookends’ to the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Palace of Westminster,
Westminster and Lambeth Bridges occupy sites of deep significance to the constitutional
history of Britain. Since 1970 they have celebrated the two-chamber political system in the
colour of their paintwork, reflecting their respective proximities to the upper and lower
houses of parliament. Enhancing this theme, the artwork illuminates Westminster Bridge’s
latticework undercrofts in soft green tones, referencing the benches of the debating
chamber of the House of Commons. The red glow adorning Lambeth Bridge is a nod to the
benches of the House of Lords and mirrors the red accents of the bridge’s railings and
arches.

Above: Detail under Waterloo Bridge, Illuminated River © James Newton