Putney Bridge is composed of a sequence of clear architectural elements – the 5 arches allowing the river to flow through, the pronounced piers grounding the bridge and the continuous spandrel wall that spans across the river. The lighting design seeks to express these three components, using the arches to create depth, the pilasters for rhythm and the spandrel wall to describe the span of the bridge.

The Grade II listing called for a sensitive mounting strategy for the luminaires, therefore, naturally occurring ledges and the overhanging string course of the bridge was utilized to conceal and fix the luminaires. Luminaires for illuminating the barrel vaults were fixed at the top of the arches to minimize the risk of flooding and prevent impact from objects floating in the river. IP68 luminaires that perform well both in a dry or a submerged environment were used throughout the project. For the illumination of the spandrel walls; through wired luminaires with high voltage technologies were used. This allowed us to only have one electrical feeding point at each end of the bridge and minimized the requirements for any further electrical interventions along the length of the spandrel.

Individual control over each 300mm luminaire length provides Wandsworth Council with granular control over the illuminated image of the bridge. The design is tuned to create a subtle, three dimensional effect in the day-to-day operations and an animated, dynamic scene for local events.