Page 156 - Guildhall School Coverage Book 2020/21

The American artist Leo Villareal and the English studio Lifschutz Davidson
Sandilands, winners of the open competition, devised colorful lighting inspired by
works of Impressionism and English Romanticism, where the light gives a special
character to each of the bridges, highlighting their value history and its unique
qualities within a discourse that spins the entire proposal using the tones and
reflections on the water.

The outdoor installation highlights the different architectural styles of each bridge,
highlighting its design, materiality, structure, and technique as well as emphasizing
the relationship they have with the river.

Project description by Illuminated River

This spring, the lighting of an additional five bridges in the Illuminated River artwork
will create the world’s longest public art commission. Blackfriars Road, Waterloo,
Golden Jubilee, Westminster and Lambeth Bridges will be illuminated by New York-
based artist Leo Villareal’s subtle display of slowly moving light sequences, joining
the four bridges already lit in 2019.

Completing on time and on budget despite constant challenges, including Covid-19
restrictions, Illuminated River will transform the Thames at night, offering a cultural
experience that is open air, free to view and accessible to all. With no ticketing or
queuing, this monumental installation provides the public with the opportunity to
enjoy the architectural beauty of London’s bridges and gain an understanding of their
relationship with the river flowing beneath them.

Spanning the cultural, financial and political stretches of the Thames, the launch
marks the culmination of five years’ work by the Illuminated River Foundation. The
installation is the result of a collaborative initiative bringing together an American
artist and a British architecture practice plus 18 specialist teams.

Illuminated River’s extensive network of more than 50 stakeholders and project
partners includes seven London boroughs, Transport for London and Network Rail,
as well as organisations such as Historic England, the London Wildlife Trust and the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Funded almost exclusively by donations from four major benefactors, the ambitious
project demonstrates an unprecedented level of harmonious collaboration across the
disciplines of art, design, lighting, technology, planning and construction, informed by
expertise including ecology, sustainability and civil engineering. To share learning
from the project for the benefit of all, the Foundation is making its extensive and
unique research freely available as a public resource.

To celebrate the completion of this significant chapter, a public engagement
programme for 2021 will be launched by the Illuminated River Foundation, creating
new and innovative evening activities for different audiences (in line with potential