Famous firms team up with famous artists in “Illuminated River” competition, shortlist revealed

Architecture teams worldwide were eager to partake in the Illuminated River competition, wherein the winning team will get to design a new lighting scheme for London's infamous bridges across the River Thames. Organized by Malcolm Reading Consultants and co-funded by the Mayor of London and the Rothschild Foundation, the competition's first stage attracted 105 multi-disciplinary teams who detailed their team's design experience and project portfolios (In other words, no initial design concepts were submitted).

Recently, the notable jury — which includes former Serpentine Gallery Director Julia Peyton-Jones and artist James Turrell, among others — shortlisted six equally notable teams to advance to the final phase. You might recognize a few names.

Read on for more.

The shortlisted teams are:

• Adjaye Associates with Chris Ofili, Thukral & Tagra, Doug Aitken, AKTII, HPF (Hurley Palmer Flatt), Four Communications, DP9, Plan A and DHA Designs
• A_LA with Asif Kapadia, Simon Stephens, SEAM Design and GROSS.MAX
• Diller Scofidio + Renfro with L'Observatoire International, Arup, Transsolar, Jennifer Tipton and Oliver Beer
• Les Éclairagistes Associés with ecqi, ewo, Federico Pietrella, and GVA Lighting Europe Limited
• Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands with Future\Pace, Leo Villareal, Pentagram, Price & Myers, Atelier Ten, Beckett Rankine and Core Five 
• Sam Jacob Studio and Simon Heijdens with Electrolight, Daisy Froud and Elliott Wood

Working alongside six notable architecture firms, notable contemporary artists include Chris Ofili, Doug Aitken, Asif Kapadia, Jennifer Tipton, and Leo Villareal, to name a few. The shortlisted teams will propose an architectural lighting scheme for the city's four iconic bridges — Westminster, Waterloo, London and Chelsea — as well as a masterplan for all 17 main road, rail and pedestrian bridges between the Albert Bridge and Tower Bridge. 

“The Illuminated River will breathe new life into the Thames and create a dazzling outdoor gallery for Londoners to enjoy each night,” stated Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in sending well wishes to the shortlisted teams.

The jury will select the proposal deemed as the most “elegant and charismatic” approach that is also innovative and environmentally conscious. Jury interviews with the shortlisted teams are scheduled for late November, while the winner is expected to be revealed early December.