Thames bridges could become 2.5 mile-long art hotspot in new plans

Highlight: American artist Leo Villareal and UK architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands submit plans for 2.5 mile artwork
Leo Villareal Studio

A 2.5 mile-long art work that will light up the Thames is a step closer to reality today after plans were submitted for the project.

The Illuminated River Foundation, which wants to light up 15 bridges, submitted 30 planning applications and 18 applications for listed building consent.

American artist Leo Villareal and UK architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands were chosen from 105 design teams to lead the project and have come up with a plan to light all the bridges from Tower Bridge to Albert Bridge.

The work, which will be freely accessible to everyone in the capital, is the longest public art commission in the world and could stay in place for a decade.

If approved, the first four bridges — London, Cannon Street, Southwark and the Millennium Bridge — will be lit up next spring with the project completed in 2022.

All the bridges will be lit differently and Villareal, who worked on a similar scheme in San Francisco, said his ideas would emphasise the “beauty” of the bridges and the river.

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