Dynamic-Color Light Transforms a Telegenic Liverpool Bridge

Liverpool residents and visitors aren’t the only people to appreciate the unique design of the historic Bascule Bridge in the city’s north docklands. The bridge’s unique look and design has earned it appearances in Captain America, Sherlock Holmes, and other Hollywood blockbusters. Recognizing the importance of this landmark, a major project by the Liverpool City Council added new dynamic lighting to the bridge as part of a £52 million renewal effort.

LITE Architectural—a leading LED lighting solutions provider based in Lancashire, UK—took on this high-profile project, led by Liverpool firm MJ Quinn. It specified a wide array of Color Kinetics LED luminaires to provide consistent, dynamic color and to deliver reliable performance under harsh conditions. A broad array of Color Kinetics luminaires wash vibrant color over the full expanse of the unique architecture of the bridge, which supports vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and moves to provide clearance for boats.

Color Kinetics Graze Powercore, Blast Powercore, Burst Powercore, and Burst Compact cover the bridge with bright, color-changing light. LITE selected each luminaire to highlight specific areas of the bridge, rather than just washing light indiscriminately over the bridge. As a result, all elements of the bridge seem to glow with vivid colors. The Color Kinetics iPlayer 3 gives the city control of the colors, which can be changed for special events quickly and easily via mobile phone.

The result? “The Bascule Bridge is one of the jewels of Liverpool’s dock system and this new lighting scheme makes it truly shine as one of our great historical assets,” said City Councilor Joe Hanson, who championed illumination of the bridge. “It’s a fascinating piece of engineering and I’ve long wanted it to be celebrated in a creative way that would bring its beauty into the spotlight.”

Thanks to an innovative Color Kinetics lighting solution, the famous Bascule Bridge is more visible, more colorful, and more impressive than ever.