This week's Plot Of The Week takes us to Paris, France where lighting designer Christien Methot of d1ny created Light:Bridge, a shimmering bridge of light across the waters of the Seine. As sunset fell, against a backdrop of soft yellow Parisian street lamps, the crisp white beams of Light:Bridge came to life. Along the riverbanks and from atop the quays, Light:Bridge dazzled locals and tourists alike. People on passing boats jumped excitedly to see if they could touch the bright beams above their heads, joggers stopped in their tracks to post photos, and lovers paused on nearby bridges to reflect on the beautiful streams of light before them.
The concept is as simple as it is bold: 10 powerful, parallel beams of light project across a river. From far off, it takes the form of a sturdy crossing. But as viewers come closer, its ethereal nature is revealed. Only light can make this crossing, linking the two sides with elegance.
Tom Simpson, d1ny's man in Paris, explains, "Christien asked me to scope out spots that would be best for the installation. Originally we were planning on going to the Pont des Arts but it is under renovation partly due to the weight of all the love locks that were on it," he says. "We went with the Pont Solférino / Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor location because it is a pedestrian bridge with two levels (more viewing points) and the power availability."
"Since the Paris Light:Bridge was a demonstration of the concept that we hope to recreate elsewhere and on a bigger scale in the future, we planned the installation and film shoot of it to take place all in one evening," adds Simpson. "It was 10 of the Ayrton Cobra fixtures that we very carefully ensured had equal spacing on the truss to achieve the clean look of the installation." An MA Lighting grandMA3 console was used for programming.
Methot adds that they "were granted the third and final permit the day before we were scheduled to load in, and were so nervous about it getting installed that we had secured a movie backlot just in case." But the permits were issues and, as the LD adds: "The lights were installed on one bank and they were set tall enough to clear double-decker bateaux going by teaming with tourists that loved seeing the installation as they went by, screaming with excitement every time"
Wouldn't it be great if the City of Light brought Light:Bridge back for the Olympic Games in the summer of 2024; or even better as a permanent installation.
Related story:
Christien Methot Debuts His Light:Bridge Across The Seine In Paris