GE Lighting helps welcome in the Olympic Games with Tower Bridge lighting project

With the LED lighting expertise of GE Lighting, a spectacular refurbishment of London’s iconic Tower Bridge has welcomed the world to the 2012 London Olympics. The stunning architectural details of the bridge are now clearly visible at night for the first time in its 118-year history.

The creation of architect Sir Horace Jones and civil engineer Sir John Wolfe-Barry, Tower Bridge is one of London's most famous and widely recognized landmarks. It took eight years to complete and was officially opened on June 30, 1894, becoming the only crossing for the River Thames at that time. Because the bridge is a listed monument, detailed planning was required to ensure that the aesthetics of the bridge were not altered, but enhanced.

To achieve the desired visual effect, a range of LED systems from GE Lighting now illuminate Tower Bridge. More than 1.24 miles (2 km) of GE Lighting’s Tetra Contour architectural LED lighting have been installed on the stone and metal work of the bridge. Supplied in 8 ft. (2.44 m) lengths, Tetra Contour was molded on site to fit the shape of the bridge’s architectural features. Controls were also installed, enabling the mood of the lighting to be changed to suit different occasions.

GE Lighting's 90W LED Floodlights, together with other lamps and fixtures, were also installed on and around Tower Bridge as direct replacements for the previous, less energy-efficient lighting system.

A key objective of the new lighting scheme was to help improve energy efficiency. “We are incredibly proud to have been involved with the lighting scheme at Tower Bridge," explained Phil Marshall, President and CEO, GE Lighting Europe-Middle East-Asia. “The combination of architectural and floodlight LEDs were specified to help reduce the energy used to light the bridge by up to 40% compared with the previous system. As a London 2012 Sustainability Partner and London 2012 sponsor, GE is excited to have successfully contributed the future of Tower Bridge and to London’s sustainability commitments."

As part of the celebrations taking place during the 2012 London Olympics, an evening light display will be held every evening at 9 p.m on Tower Bridge, “ensuring those in the city can fully enjoy the new lighting scheme and see Tower Bridge as they never have before." Marshall added.

Source: GE Lighting Solutions

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