Leo Villareal to light up London's bridges after design competition victory
– Leo Villareal
American light artist Leo Villareal and British architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands have won a hotly-contested competition to light up 17 central London bridges along the River Thames with a free, permanent installation.
London mayor Sadiq Khan announced yesterday (7 December) that the team’s design concept for the Illuminated River International Design Competition had triumphed over five other shortlisted entries from Adjaye Associates, AL_A, Les Éclairagistes Associés, Sam Jacob Studio and Diller Scott + Renfro.
The winning proposal, Current, imagines a gradual and colour-changing lighting scheme that will be synchronised across all the bridges.
Responding to the choice of the competition jury – which included light artists James Turrell and investor Lord Rothschild – Villareal commented: “I'm delighted and humbled by the fact they went with an artistically-driven vision for the Illuminated River,” said Villareal. “We’re deeply committed to this project. The whole team shares a belief in the power of large-scale public culture and art to enrich our cities.
“In order to nuance the concept design and create presence and legibility, we intend to take time to study the river in all its manifestations. We want to listen to Londoners in developing the scheme to deliver at all levels of art and light, urban design and architecture, the environment and sustainability.”
Villareal has been working with light and computer code for more than a decade and is best known his popular project The Bay Lights, which lit San Francisco Bay Bridge for two years before citizens pushed for it to become a permanent installation.
The artist pledged his team would develop a lighting masterplan for the Thames that “reduces pollution and wasted energy, is sensitive to history and ecology and subtly rebalances the ambient lighting on the river to provide a beautiful night time experience”.
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands have worked on several major projects across London, including the Golden Jubilee footbridges, and helped develop the urban planning of the city’s South Bank.
Hannah Rothschild, chair of the Illuminated River Foundation, said: “Leo Villareal’s proven ability to paint with light matched with Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands’ direct experience of building bridges over the Thames was an irresistible and inspirational combination.
“Their scheme is beautiful, ambitious and realisable but always considerate to the environment, lighting levels and energy conservation. The jury is convinced that the winning team will transform the centre of London while remaining true to the spirit and integrity of the Thames and its communities.”
The winning team in full:
• Leo Villareal (Lead Artist)
• Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands (Lead Consultant)
• FuturePace (Curator)
• Atelier Ten
• Beckett Rankine
• Bradley Hemmings
• Core Five
• Futurecity
• Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
• Montagu Evans
• Pentagram
• Price & Myers
Leo Villareal London Illuminated River River Thames design Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands Sadiq KhanInternational shortlist revealed for London's Illuminated River project, organiser declares UK 'remains a design destination' post-Brexit
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
How Portugal’s biggest brewer enlisted the help of one of the country’s best known architects to turn two historic nature parks into thermal spa and nature destinations