First part of 'the world's longest artwok' goes live in London

  • London
London Bridge Credit: Illuminated River/James Newton

Four bridges across the Thames in central London have been illuminated with thousands of coloured LED lights, as part of what is expected to become the longest artwork in the world.

London Bridge, Cannon Street Bridge, Southwark Bridge and the Millennium Footbridge have now been lit up. It is hoped that a further 11 bridges in London across will follow over the next year, with the artwork eventually spanning more than 8km of the River Thames.

After £250,000 of initial cash from City Hall the project has been funded privately. More than 50 groups have been involved in getting the project up and running, and a charity, the Illuminated River Foundation, has been established to pay for the installation and upkeep of the lights.

Southwark Bridge Credit: Illuminated River/James Newton
Cannon Street Bridge Credit: Illuminated River/James Newton
London Bridge Credit: Illuminated River/James Newton

Artist Leo Villareal has created LED patterns that glow in sequence across the bridges. The next phase of the project, which will involve lights being installed on bridges from Blackfriars to Lambeth, is expected to be complete by autumn 2020.

The best points to view the sequence of lights from Credit: The Illuminated River Foundation

The lights are expected to stay in place for 10 years.