Five more London bridges will soon be lit up as part of the Illuminated River project.
Using LED lighting designed by American artist Leo Villareal, the project aims to visually connect the city’s iconic bridges through subtle lighting sequences and color schemes conceived to showcase the architecture and history of each bridge.
The latest bridges to be added are Westminster Bridge and Lambeth Bridge. From next month, Westminster Bridge’s latticework will be illuminated with soft green hues, evoking the green benches of the House of Commons’ debating chamber, while Lambeth Bridge’s red glow will reflect the red benches of the chamber in the nearby House of Lords. The lighting designs extend the theme in the paintwork of both bridges, which has long symbolised Britain’s two-chamber parliamentary system.
Lord Neil Mendoza, Chair of the Illuminated River Foundation said,
“The illumination of Westminster and Lambeth bridges [will bring] a fresh new spirit and atmosphere to the political center of London that will transform this part of the Thames as we begin, gradually, to ease out of the challenges of the last 12 months.”
The Blackfriars Road, Waterloo, and Golden Jubilee bridges will also be lit up next month, bringing the total number of bridges illuminated through the project to nine. The first four bridges—London, Cannon Street, Southwark, and Millennium were lit in 2019.
Fully funded by private philanthropists the project has the backing of the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan,
“From the Fourth Plinth to Art on the Underground, our city has a rich heritage of showcasing public art, and I am delighted that Illuminated River is bringing more free and accessible artwork to Londoners.
The project will be up for 20 years at which point each bridge operator can decide if they want to continue into the future. You can read more about the project and each bridge by going here.