Winner of Thames competition to be announced in December
David Adjaye, Sam Jacob and Amanda Levete have all been shortlisted for the 拢20m competition to light up the River Thames.
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands and Diller Scofidio & Renfro are also on the shortlist.
The Illuminated River international design competition picked six teams from 105 entries based on past experience, 47% of them from overseas.
Organisers Malcolm Reading Consultants argued that this demonstrated that London 鈥渞emains a top destination for international designers, artists, engineers and technologists post-Brexit鈥.
Reading also said: 鈥淭his shortlist brims with promise: these teams are at the intersection of art, architecture, technology, engineering, film and literature. They have put together fascinating combinations of skills and we expect great things of them.鈥
The second stage of the contest involves designs, with finalists asked to develop concept design lighting schemes for four bridges 鈥 Westminster, Waterloo, London and Chelsea, plus a design masterplan for all 17 bridges between Albert and Tower.
The brief is for an 鈥渆legant and charismatic light installation that will be forward-thinking and environmentally friendly鈥.
Jury interviews will take place in late November, when the designs will also go on public display.
A winner is due to be announced in early December.
The mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: 鈥淭he Illuminated River will breathe new life into the Thames and create a dazzling outdoor gallery for Londoners to enjoy each night, showing that our capital remains a leader in innovation, sustainability and artistic creativity.鈥
The project will require 拢20 million to be raised.
The competition is funded through a grant of 拢250,000 from the Rothschild Foundation and 拢250,000 from the Mayor of London. The City of London has pledged 拢500,000 towards the realisation of later stages of the project. The City of London Corporation鈥檚 Bridge House Estate is providing 拢500,000 towards improvements on London Bridge, which will help realise the project, said the organisers.
The shortlist
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鈥橭bservatoire International, Arup, Transsolar, Jennifer Tipton and Oliver Beer
Les 脡clairagistes Associ茅s 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
The judges
Professor Ricky Burdett, professor of urban studies and director of LSE Cities and Urban Age
Michael Craig-Martin, artist
Lucy Musgrave, director of Publica
Julia Peyton-Jones, former director Serpentine Galleries
Lord Rothschild, chairman of RIT Capital Partners plc and chairman of the Rothschild Foundation
Hannah Rothschild, chair of the Illuminated River Foundation, writer, filmmaker and chair of the National Gallery Board of Trustees
Ralph Rugoff, director of the Hayward Gallery
Rohan Silva, co-founder of Second Home
Justine Simons, deputy mayor for culture and creative industries
James Turrell, artist
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