Once complete the llluminated River will be the longest public art commission in the world. Each bridge will have a specially designed sequence personally created by the artist and all together will shine a subtle and beautiful light on the Thames and London for many years to come.
American light artist Leo Villareal and London architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands impressed the jury of the competition with their exciting kinetic artwork as well as their respect for the natural environment, local inhabitants and the architectural character and history of the bridges.
In this walk we look at the first four bridges to be illuminated:
Millennium Bridge
Southwark Bridge
Cannon Street Railway Bridge
London Bridge
City Guides are proud to walk and talk about this dynamic project in the City enhanced with ‘light and code’ to create a monumental kinetic sculpture. We look at the bridges' history, ancient and modern, construction how and when, impact on the City as well as engage you with the considerable collaboration that has taken place to bring this re-focus on the Thames which will open a wider discussion on lighting strategy for the bridges and the River as a whole. An exciting journey from an idea to reality and the involvement of many communities, boroughs, associations, and the public to create a piece of art that can be enjoyed by everyone.
“Leo Villareal's work is focused on stripping systems down to their essence to better understand the underlying structures and rules that govern how they work. He is interested in lowest common denominators such as pixels or the zeros and ones in binary code.” © Leo Villareal Artist’s Statement
Our groups are very small to adhere tp government rules and guidance from the Institute of Tourist Guiding.
Booking is essential via Eventbrit
We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Temple Bar Trust. You are invited to join us for series of live-broadcast, virtual walks around the City. The series includes the fascinating history of Temple Bar, Paternoster Square, St Pauls, the life, and work of Sir Christopher Wren and some of the wonderful but often overlooked statues and sculptures nearby. Find out more and book here: https://templebartrust.org/walks
Note: We try to make our walks as inclusive and accessible as possible.
If you would like to organise your own walk, lecture or a virtual tour for a group of people, then please use our Find a Guide section.
60mins
£11.37
£9.21
