Wandsworth Bridge has a whole new look – and it’s not just brighter. Thanks to a recent lighting upgrade, the bridge can now glow in any colour, joining a global trend that turns bridges and monuments into canvases of light for celebrations, causes, and moments of unity.
The new LED system allows the bridge to be lit up in a full spectrum of colours. That means Wandsworth Bridge can now mark key events – from Pride Month to Remembrance Day – in brilliant style, just like iconic structures across the world.
Wandsworth Council said the upgrade was part of its efforts to modernise the borough’s infrastructure and make better use of its public spaces.
Lighting up the world: a growing tradition
This colour-changing trend has become increasingly popular over the last two decades. Landmark structures from the Empire State Building to the Eiffel Tower have adopted dynamic lighting systems that turn them into powerful visual symbols.
In London, bridges like the Millennium, Southwark and London Bridge have all embraced programmable lighting. The “Illuminated River” project, launched in 2019, connected nine central London bridges with coordinated, artist-designed light displays – making the Thames a ribbon of light through the city.
Internationally, Australia’s Sydney Harbour Bridge has long lit up for New Year’s Eve and Vivid Sydney, while San Francisco’s Bay Bridge dazzles nightly with artist Leo Villareal’s dynamic LED sculpture, “The Bay Lights.”
These lighting systems don’t just look good – they’ve been used to honour NHS workers during the pandemic, commemorate historical events, and support global campaigns, such as lighting in blue and yellow for Ukraine or pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
A bridge with roots in wartime innovation
Wandsworth Bridge’s new lighting may be modern, but the bridge has always had a visual story. The current bridge opened in 1940, during the early years of World War II. Designed by Sir Thomas Peirson Frank – the engineer responsible for London’s wartime flood defences – the bridge was painted in various shades of blue to help camouflage it from enemy aircraft. That subtle blue palette became its trademark.
The bridge replaced a narrower 19th-century toll bridge that had been poorly received, suffering from drainage problems and limited capacity. The wartime rebuild brought a stronger, wider steel cantilever bridge – and one that, while never showy, became a steady fixture in west London life.
Now, with a lighting scheme that can transform its appearance with the click of a switch, Wandsworth Bridge steps confidently into the 21st century – colourful, responsive, and finally getting its moment to shine.
