Brick Lane, London, UK

Appointed by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH), we devised a new permanent festival lighting scheme for the community to celebrate events throughout the calendar year.

These include The Mela in May, Diwali in September and Christmas in December, alongside many other religious events and community celebration.

From a structured and concise programme, Michael Grubb Studio established a concept that could be delivered by the Street Lighting Team within a 10-week window.

One of the challenges we faced was the daytime impact of any permanent light installation. We, therefore, suggested the introduction of neighbourhood change consultants architects, Make:Good.

Working with Make:Good, three workshops were introduced within the community. Within these workshops, patterns were created, which were transformed into various pieces of artwork. The output was to use as a base for the lighting. This also helped produce a Festive Advent Calendar Countdown Calendar using the numerous motifs from the rich history of Brick Lane.

When it came to installation, the lighting was thread through the motifs and then attached to the lighting columns (at a high level). At the base, additional graphic displays were in place to ensure a consistent look day and night.

The new lighting scheme has a positive impact on placemaking in Brick Lane and enhances the many events which take place on Brick Lane throughout the year.