Page 181 - Guildhall Coverage Book 2020-21

They also worked with Historic England, the London Wildlife Trust and the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution to get the project off the ground.
Each bridge has a different lighting design to reflect its history – with Westminster
Bridge illuminated with a green light to match the benches of the debating chamber of
the House of Commons.
Meanwhile, 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.

They are lit up at dusk every night until 2am and the project runs until 2029, which
means visitors have plenty of time to see for themselves.

Pre-pandemic London welcomed 21 million tourists in 2019, according to Visit Britain
They can also enjoy watching from home or download audio guides if coronavirus
means they are not venturing into London just yet.

Because of the pandemic, Mr Villareal was unable to travel to the UK to programme the
artwork in person. Instead, he used streaming technology to view and adjust the light
sequences in real time from his New York studio. It transmitted footage with less than a
second in time delay and allowed him to fine-tune the artwork.
And people can enjoy a series of events online including downloading compositions
from students at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, in the heart of the City of London.
Blind and partially-sighted people can learn more about the bridges from audio guides
created with the charity VocalEyes.
Hannah Rothschild, who came up with the idea to light up the bridges, said: “The
Thames is our liquid history, spanning London’s two millennia. Its bridges, each unique
and essential, are the arteries connecting north, south, east and west; carrying many
millions of people and goods from one shore to another, day after day…
“For too long, the Thames and its bridges have been under appreciated. Now Leo
Villareal’s brilliant and imaginative design, the world’s longest public artwork, has
transformed a snake of darkness into a vibrant and beautiful ribbon of light running
through our midst, which will transform the bridges, boost the local night-time
economy and foster a sense of wonder in these idiosyncratic and vital structures.”

Lead image by James Newton.