LED Lights Are Illuminating The Capital’s Iconic Landmarks

Several of London's most iconic landmarks have had their famous features transformed by the addition of LED lighting.

Yes, in the run-up to the 2012 Olympic Games, Tower Bridge underwent a comprehensive face-lift operation which included being decked out in the good old red, white and blue of the national flag.

The astonishing feat was accomplished courtesy of a joint initiative between the London 2012 sustainability partners: The City of London Corporation (the owners of the bridge), General Electric (GE) and EDF Energy.

The installation comprised 1,800 LED lights, 8,270 meters of new electrical cable, 1,000 junction boxes, as well as 1,750 metres of control cabling for the state-of-the art LED projectors, and was achieved without incurring any cost to the taxpayer.

The then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said “I am thrilled to have brokered this deal - at no cost to the taxpayer - to bathe Tower Bridge in eco-friendly light to create a fresh perspective of this wonderful icon.”

Previously, the bridge had been partially illuminated by 25 year-old static floodlights which were hugely energy-inefficient and had a flattening effect on the world-famous architecture, lessening its visual impact.

After switching to up-to-date LED lighting, the benefits were both stunning and far-reaching. The LEDs made the bridge completely visible after dark for the first time in its 118 year history, and also reduced the landmark’s energy consumption by nearly 40%, due to their energy-efficiency.

LED lights could save you money too, not only due to their energy-saving potential, but also because of their extremely long life-expectancy in comparison with traditional incandescent and fluorescent lights.

Birthday Celebrations!

Fantastic, energy-efficient LED lights also lit up two other London landmarks in 2014, to celebrate the first birthday of Prince George of Cambridge.

The Golden Jubilee Bridges and the fountains at Marble Arch were illuminated in blue LED lights, between 8pm and midnight on Tuesday 22 July.

The event occurred one year to the day after Westminster City Council began to alternate the lighting of the two landmarks from blue to pink every minute, until the official announcement was made that the Duchess of Cambridge had given birth to a baby boy. Following this, the landmarks remained blue.

Cllr Robert Davis, Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council, said “Turning these iconic landmarks blue once again is a fitting way to recapture some of the excitement of last July and a great way to mark the Prince’s first birthday.”

Along with Tower Bridge, the Golden Jubilee Bridges over the Thames were a focal point for the 2012 Olympics, when they provided an LED light show for the millions of visitors to the capital, and the lights were retained thanks to overwhelmingly positive feedback from the public.

The bridges were illuminated by 1,800 coloured LED energy-efficient bulbs and 16,500 feet of cabling to connect each one.

The incredibly complicated system was supplied by global lighting experts Citelum, the company responsible for designing similar systems for some other historic around the world, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

The three 185 year-old fountains at Marble Arch were completely refurbished and rejuvenated, after 10 years displaying an “Out of Order” sign, and are now complete with colour-changing LEDs illuminating the cascade of Lumen-bright water with a dizzying array that comprises purple, green, red, blue and white LED light.

Great For You Too!

Whilst these installations are on a truly grand scale, showing the amazing scope and versatility of up-to-the-minute, energy-efficient LED lighting, fantastic effects of a much less grand magnitude can also be achieved, thanks to the wide range of LED strip lights that are available.

From single colour, dual colour and RGBW to the incredible effects produced by RGBW colour-changing and RGB LED pixel tape, you’ll find something to cater for every lighting feature you can think of.

There are also LED strip light kits that include everything you’ll need for a simple and convenient installation, and one of the best things about them is that the LED tape comes in a choice of Ingress Protection Ratings, so even if you do have a bridge to illuminate, the British weather won’t be a problem!