River View

Location: Riverside Walkway, Thames North Bank

Date: 2019

Status: Temporary

Project Types: Installation | Public Art

Client: City of London Corporation, Illuminated River Foundation

In October 2018, the LFA launched an open call for submissions for a design intervention that would sit on the Thames’ North Bank Riverside Walkway, in partnership with the City of London Corporation and Illuminated River Foundation. The open call asked designers to respond to a lack of available public seating, a lack of visual or other interest, an absence of programmable space and a lack of accessibility.

The winning intervention – Wolfgang Buttress’ Liminal – was installed in June 2019 to coincide with the London Festival of Architecture, and the Illuminated River Project. The design also formed an integral part of the City’s Fantastic Feats: the building of London programme, and was activated with a series of talks, events and entertainments over the course of several months.

Winning design

Liminal by Wolfgang Buttress

Wolfgang Buttress’ Liminal draws on its location opposite Tate Modern, paying homage to painters – from Turner to Monet – who have historically been inspired by the Thames. Drawing on the river’s mystical and captivating quality, Liminal invites passers-by to gaze upon the Thames through a kaleidoscopic lens, blurring the line between 2D and 3D by bringing together a collection mirror, satin and matte aluminium panels to shift the public’s perception of the river playfully.

The 4.5-metre tall installation was connected to a sonar buoy in the Thames, that allowed visitors to connect to the water’s currents and river life directly.

By encouraging users to engage in a moment of reflection, the aim was to transform the Thames’ North Bank into a space for contemplation, interaction and pause, rather than a purely functional walkway.

River View

Winning design

Liminal by Wolfgang Buttress

Liminal © Luke O’Donovan

Liminal © Luke O’Donovan

More Competitions.

A Gateway to New Malden

People at the Centre of Brixton

Urban Playground