The ambitious $20m art project to light up River Thames takes a step forward towards realisation.
The Illuminated River project, proposed in June 2016 by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is progressing, as six main projects are shortlisted and exhibited to the public.
The idea behind the whole project is to light up the coast of the river Thames by creating light installations all over its riverbank in London and on the seventeen bridges across it, all the way from the Albert Bridge to the Tower Bridge. Some of the requirements are to create the most innovative and environmentally friendly designs, “enhancing London’s status as a low‐carbon beacon and a world leader in cutting edge technology and engineering.”
The six shortlisted schemes are:
- Blurring Boundaries: a project by the Adjaye Associates team, that wants to “reimagine the bridges not as connectors, but as the heart of London itself”; they seek to call attention to each bridge’s structure, image and history.
- The Eternal Story of the River Thames: instead of illuminating the bridges, they want to illuminate the river walls, with lighting changing at high and low tides; their idea is to remind people of the millions of years of the river’s existence, as well as of the importance of the role our lives play in these millennia.
- Synchronising the City: Its Natural and Urban Rhythms: this project seeks to resynchronise the city dwellers and nature, by making the bridges light up at the time of sunset.
- Current: this scheme sets the idea of illuminating the entire riverbank between the 17 bridges through gradient colourful lighting.
- A River Ain’t Too Much To Light: the idea of the Les Éclairagistes Associés organisation is to make the bridges and the riverbank light up according to the ideal line of demarcation between light and shadow, as well as to enhance the idea of London being a melting pot, “the capital of exchanges between different cultures.”
- Thames Nocturne: this project sets the creation of an art installation that would use light in a way that would allow for it to obtain volume in space.
The Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity to breathe new life through the heart of London each night in a new, permanent, fluid light art installation across the capital’s historic bridges.”
While the idea might be interesting and innovative, not everyone finds it that important:
All a little too 'Theme-park-on-Thames' for my taste…#IlluminatedRiver
— Paul Bridge (@AlbumLondon) November 8, 2016
Can we vote to increase darkness please? There's enough light pollution in London #illuminatedriver
— Claudia Watts (@violetbeetle) November 7, 2016
Sure, this is definitely more of a priority than, y'know, making sure all Londoners have affordable homes #IlluminatedRiver@IlluminatedRiv
— Katie Knight (@ponderingPaeds) November 7, 2016
Regardless, the winner of the competition is to be chosen by the jury, and to be announced on 8 December, 2016. The realisation of the project is set to begin in 2018.
The Mayor and the chair of the Illuminated River Foundation, Hannah Rothschild, believe that this is a way to call attention to the beautiful areas around the river, as well as to attract tourists and to make London live up to its ambition of being a city that lives twenty-four hours, all 7 days a week.
The exhibition that was opened last Wednesday, 9 November 2016, allows for the public to see the shortlisted schemes. It will be displayed for three weeks, until 29 November, from 10am until 11pm on levels 3 and 4 of the Royal Festival Hall. The entrance is free.
