Over a period of 2 years NVA successfully introduced creative architectural lighting schemes to four public buildings across Glasgow. Each commission was artist-led and aimed to stretch the imagination and show new methodologies to influence Glasgow City Council’s Lighting Strategy. The sites included were:
– Glasgow Tidal Weir
– Glasgow College of Building and Printing
– Merchant House, George Square
– Tramway Boiler House Chimney in the Hidden Gardens

For the Merchant House, we concentrated on highlighting the stunning globe and ship detail on the roof. The Glasgow Tidal Weir, lit by David Bryant, was a challenging structure to enhance due to the almost transparent metal structure. Bryant succeeded by casting colour onto the weir itself – an early example of using LED’s as point sources to be looked at as a punctuating design feature.

12 years on, David Bryant’s second scheme for the College of Building and Printing brought two remarkable modernist sculptural structures on the roof of the city centre building to public attention (which can be seen from the M8 as well as the southern rail approach).

For the Hidden Gardens chimney, Speirs & Major Associates delivered a moving image design based upon the cellular stem of a plant.  Derkson projectors were used to create a hypnotic metamorphosing projection that took on an animalistic quality when viewed from the surrounding streets.