International teams invited for 17 Central London bridges
Entries are open to design illuminations for the Thames in central London, part of a £20m project to transform the river after dark.
Illuminated River International Design Competition has been launched by the Illuminated River Foundation (established specifically to oversee the project) and the Mayor of London, and incorporates 17 road, rail and pedestrian crossings between Albert and Tower bridges.
For the first stage of the international competition, teams are asked to submit deatial of team members (artists, designers, engineers, architects, landscape architects, technologists and other specialists) and relevant experience.
Five teams will be selected to proceed to stage two, where they will be asked to present concept designs for four bridges – Westminster, Waterloo, London and Chelsea – and a design masterplan for all the bridges. Finalists will be announced in late summer, with a winner announced in December following a public exhibition of the shortlisted schemes.
£20m funding will mainly come from private sources, and the illuminations will be a permanent addition to the central London riverscape. It is hoped that installation will begin in 2018.
Hannah Rothschild, chair of the Illuminated River Foundation, said: ‘Even by London’s standards, this project is unprecedented in boldness and imagination: the opportunity to influence and transform the look, identity and experience of the world’s greatest city.
‘We’re looking for the finest artists, architects, designers, engineers, technologists and specialists to work together to help realise this exciting ambition. Collaborators can be from different disciplines with varying degrees of experience. What matters is bold and innovative thinking to put the art back into London’s greatest artery.’
Deadline for entries is 7 July at 2pm. For full details and to enter, see the competition website
