Published on
October 8, 2021
Wandsworth Council and Lambeth Council have announced a landmark Line of Light festival taking place this October.
The free festival will celebrate the communities that live above the new tunnels of the Northern line extension, as well as the two new Tube stations at Battersea Power Station and Nine Elms that opened in September.
Installations by artists Projection Teknik will create a daisy-chain of high-density light beams illuminating the two new stations and painting the route of the tunnels in the sky.
Buildings along the route will be lit up with moving projections inspired by themes of connectivity and togetherness from 6.30pm-10pm on 29 October and 30 October.
An accompanying series of podcasts will capture the music, voices and atmosphere of the neighbourhoods directly above the tunnels of the Northern line extension. Lead artist Sam Jones of SoundThread is working with community leaders, libraries, local arts organisations and Royal College of Art students to create an ‘album’ of the area that reflects the diversity of the people and places. Violinist Emma Smith, originally from Battersea, will interpret local musicians’ music into a string arrangement, and the audio tapestry will be released as a series of 3-7 minute soundscape podcasts available to download from the website and listen to while walking the route or at home.
Festival hubs
Two free festival hubs will be open from 4pm to 9pm, bringing together local businesses and communities with free entertainment. The New Union Square hub, SW11, will feature street entertainment and acoustic acts, while the hub near Nine Elms station will feature live music.
Wandsworth Councillor Steffi Sutters, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Open Spaces, said: “The Line of Light festival will be a landmark celebration of the historic opening of the Northern line extension which is a complete game-changer for this part of Battersea and Nine Elms.
“I’m thrilled Wandsworth Council is presenting this innovative light festival along the route of the tunnels and would like to thank our committed local partners, neighbouring boroughs and TfL for their support in helping us highlight this new transport connection and what it means for the area. It’s a great example of how we can strengthen and build new connections between our diverse communities – old and new.”
Lambeth Councillor Sonia Winifred, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture, said: “The opening of the Northern Line extension gives us a great opportunity to reflect on the new connections this brings to the communities living along the route, both new and old.
“The Line of Light festival is a fantastic way for our diverse communities to come together to explore their neighbourhoods, and highlight what they have to offer, through a spectacular celebration of light and sound, where local voices can be heard.
“We hope this festival will have something for everyone and showcases the creative talents of all the artists involved.”
Line of Light is presented by London Borough of Wandsworth and London Borough of Lambeth, with support from partners Battersea Power Station, Embassy Gardens, R&F Properties, Urbanest and VINCI St. Modwen. Supporting partners are TfL and Vauxhall One, with technical support from PANI Projection and Lighting.
Projection Teknik was established in 1992 by Nick Azidis, an Australian born new media artist and projection illusionist specialising in large-scale projections, in both digital and analogue mediums. and has compiled a diverse body of work over nearly three decades as a producer, content developer/creator and technician. Nick is interested in storytelling and creating eternal memories. He creates aesthetically beautiful pieces that transform a viewer’s perception of their surroundings, with a blanket of luminescent designs. Nick has delivered projections for The Australian Centre for the Moving Image, All Together Now Festival (Ireland), Lightpool Festival (UK), Love Light Norwich Festival (UK), Athens International Video Art Festival (Greece) as well as Gertrude Projection Festival, Melbourne White Night, ANZAC centenary on the NGV, Melbourne International Music Week, Melbourne Biennale, and Australian Open Tennis championships.
About Battersea Power Station
About Embassy Gardens
Embassy Gardens is a mixed-use development in London that has spearheaded the vital extension of the South Bank and is the centrepiece of Nine Elms – one of Europe’s most significant regeneration projects. Wrapped around the US Embassy, the 8ha riverside neighbourhood will provide over 1,500 new homes, world-class amenities including the ‘Sky Pool’ (a world first in engineering), 432,278 sq.ft. of office space across two buildings, 130,000 sq.ft. of retail space and cafes, bars and restaurants.
Walking distance from key transport hubs and further improved connectivity with the forthcoming extension of the Northern Line, the developers behind Embassy Gardens saw huge potential to deliver a major international project. Today, this regenerative vision has been realised; from transforming a derelict site to a dynamic 24-hr lifestyle hub where people work, live and socialise.
Embassy Gardens’ reputation as a leading lifestyle and commercial quarter for London is quickly growing. This year, the forward-thinking neighbourhood has supported and welcomed a huge influx of tenants, including the soon relocation of Penguin Random House and DK to its office space named One Embassy Gardens. With almost fifty percent dedicated to green space and hosting an active events programme – prioritised through the coronavirus pandemic to keep residents and beyond motivated – Embassy Gardens creates an exciting destination, with placemaking and the community’s best interests at its core.
Phase one of Embassy Gardens was delivered by Ballymore, and phase two by a Joint Venture between Ballymore and EcoWorld. Phase three, by Ballymore, is under construction.
About R&F Properties
Founded in 1994, Hong Kong-listed R&F Properties develops luxury and large-scale projects globally, including significant project sites in Nine Elms in London. It is a diversified property group with interests in China, Australia, the U.K., Malaysia and South Korea. With assets valued at approx. £26bn, R&F Properties has more than 18m sq m (GFA) currently under development and is the world’s largest luxury five-star hotel owner, operating over 30,000 rooms. With core values of integrity, responsibility, diligence and inclusivity, R&F Properties has developed more than 340 projects in 130 cities and regions across the world.
For more information please visit: www.rfpropertiesuk.com
About Urbanest
Founded in 2009, Urbanest has become London’s most trusted, high quality developer and operator of purpose-built student accommodation with a focus on Central London. We have just over 6,000 student bed spaces under management, or in planning & construction, and all in Zone 1, including our new site in Battersea. From opening our first property we have delivered 8 large developments spanning several inner London boroughs, and have a proven track record of integrating our properties into the local communities in which they are situated. We are recognised as the preferred supplier of student accommodation to some of London’s most globally renowned universities, and are proud to strategically partner with leading institutions in support of their long-term accommodation strategy and delivery of a first-class living experience for their students. This resident experience is at the heart of everything we do, and is central to the design and build of our developments, together with the management and operational excellence we adopt in the day-to-day running of our buildings.
About VINCI St. Modwen
VINCI St. Modwen (VSM) in partnership with the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) is delivering the redevelopment of New Covent Garden Market, a landmark multi-phased project – the largest scheme in the Nine Elms opportunity area.
St. Modwen
St. Modwen is an expert property developer with a rich 30-year history operating across three dedicated business units: St. Modwen Homes, St. Modwen Logistics, and Strategic Land & Regeneration – all of which are aligned to structural growth trends. St. Modwen is active across England and South Wales, with a portfolio totalling £1.37bn. Our strategy sees us focused on areas which benefit from structural growth trends and where we can draw on the expertise of our people, our depth of experience and the strengths of our property portfolio.
VINCI UK Developments is the property development arm of VINCI PLC
At VINCI UK Developments, we establish developments that improve people’s lives and create a positive legacy. We build trusted partnerships with our clients, stakeholders and local communities to create desirable, profitable and sustainable places that increase opportunity and wellbeing.
We invest in development activities across our key sectors, working in partnership with the public- and private-sectors, leveraging our financial covenant and resources to successfully deliver our selected projects.
