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July 24, 2019
A loud cheer went up as the first of four London bridges burst into color as part of the Illuminated River project
The excitement onboard the Thames pleasure cruiser was palpable as the clock ticked down to 10.00pm on Wednesday, July 17. This was the scheduled time for the switch-on of four London bridges spanning the River Thames – the first to be lit in the Illuminated River project – an art commission on a truly massive scale.
Earlier, a fleet of iconic red double-decker buses transferred around 350 guests from a reception with London Mayor Sadiq Khan, at the ornate Guildhall, to the Millennium Pier. Once there, they boarded the vessel from City Cruises. Now, as it sat in the Thames, the countdown began.
The four bridges – London, Cannon Street, Southwark and Millennium – each allotted a button, were to be pushed at precisely 10.00pm.
The fingers on buttons belonged to:
4 – 3 – 2 – 1! A massive cheer went up as the bridges burst into color with a beauty and subtlety befitting the majesty of their architecture.
“To ensure everything went smoothly we had a team of our and Leo’s people on hand at each bridge. It all went flawlessly,” said Iain Byrne, Project Manager, Illuminated River project, Signify.
Artist Leo Villareal was delighted. “With Illuminated River, the largest artwork I’ve ever conceived, I’m hoping to follow in the footsteps of Monet, Turner and Whistler and reveal the truly unique, inspiring and poetic character of the Thames,” he said.
“Physical work on the first four bridges began in January this year,” explained Joao Pola, Signify’s UK and Ireland CEO, “the bridges use our Color Kinetics lighting monitored by Interact Landmark. Our software can also be used to control the lighting, for example to commemorate special occasions.”
Consultants Atelier 10 ensured the lighting minimizes direct light spill onto the river. And as it is LED, it reduces energy consumption. Previously, the lighting ran all night, from dusk to dawn. Now that it’s connected, it’s switched off at 2.00am to offer extra energy savings.
Of course, the project will attract more people to enjoy the river and riverside. As with bridges and monuments we’ve lit around the world, this will have an enduring and positive impact on the local economy.
That’s the meaning of light.
Signify (Euronext: LIGHT) is the world leader in lighting for professionals, consumers and the Internet of Things. Our Philips products, Interact systems and data-enabled services, deliver business value and transform life in homes, buildings and public spaces. In 2023, we had sales of EUR 6.7 billion, approximately 32,000 employees and a presence in over 70 countries. We unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. We have been in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index since our IPO for seven consecutive years and have achieved the EcoVadis Platinum rating for four consecutive years, placing Signify in the top one percent of companies assessed. News from Signify can be found in the Newsroom, on X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Information for investors is located on the Investor Relations page.
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