Beyond The Bridge is an innovative community project that has transformed the Falcon Road Rail Bridge underpass in Clapham, South London.
What was once a dark and unwelcoming urban walkway has now become a safer, more pleasant and visually engaging space thanks to the integration of art, lighting and urban design.
The project, which currently incorporates 70 Anolis Eminere 4 luminaires together with other new lighting solutions, was commissioned by the London Borough of Wandsworth with the aim of renovating this important 100-metre-long rail and road underpass. The initiative sought to respond practically to community concerns while also turning the space into a new local landmark.
In 2024, a competition was launched inviting architects, designers and artists to submit proposals, resulting in a winning concept selected for its innovation and vibrancy.
Beyond The Bridge emerged as a collaborative vision driven by GPAD architects, community engagement specialist POoR, MRG Studio, Sutton Vane Associates (SVA), Cundall and MDA Consulting, with SVA responsible for the lighting design.
SVA used 70 Eminere 4 linear LED luminaires —featuring a compact design, high output and IP67 rating— as a key part of the new lighting scheme, installing 35 fixtures near the top of each side of the underpass using special mounting brackets.
Mark Sutton Vane, director of the Hammersmith-based architectural lighting design practice, explained that POoR (Power Out of Restriction) carried out extensive community engagement work to gather opinions and inspiration that shaped the artwork now running throughout the underpass, which subsequently required lighting that matched the project vision.
The lighting design for Beyond The Bridge was structured around three elements. The first was to provide comfortable and compliant public lighting for users of this busy route, with brighter illumination at night and reduced to 20% during the day. The second objective was to deliver balanced lighting for the artwork panels, while the third was to introduce a playful and immersive visual element to the project, where the Anolis luminaires played a key role.
We wanted to colour the scenic area along the bridge. That included the walls and the overhead steel support beams, so we needed powerful, high-quality luminaires with excellent colour mixing, and that’s when Anolis caught our attention, says Mark.
The Council selected a signature blue colour from the Anolis fixtures, elegantly illuminating the ceiling while creating an attractive iridescent glow. This effect runs for ten minutes before transitioning into a subtle and slow rainbow sequence lasting five minutes, carefully designed not to distract passing vehicles, before returning to the static blue look. The Eminere fixtures are programmed and controlled via a Pharos system.
The luminaires also needed to be highly durable. Waterproofing was a basic requirement, along with extended longevity. In addition, they had to withstand the constant bridge vibrations caused by Network Rail trains travelling across the multiple tracks leading into and out of Clapham Junction station — one of the busiest rail intersections in the UK — which operates around the clock. The luminaires also needed to withstand other common urban challenges, such as the presence of pigeons, whose reduction was also part of the wider project.
It was the first time SVA had used Anolis products. One of the main challenges for Mark and his team was finding robust and well-engineered luminaires that also met the technical requirements, including DMX control, high brightness and excellent colour rendering quality. The Eminere 4 was selected following extensive testing. The Eminere 4 also represents a highly sustainable solution, with energy consumption that is easy to calculate for UMSUG (Unmetered Supplies User Group) evaluation, which measures the energy usage of electrical equipment connected to the grid without individual metering, allowing accurate billing.
Anolis designed and manufactured special mounting brackets for the Eminere 4 fixtures, reusing existing holes in the Victorian brick walls from the previous lighting installation wherever possible. In addition, the brackets had to be adapted to different formats, as the lighting runs were not completely straight and needed to navigate drains, pipes and other obstacles.
Mark highlighted that none of these challenges posed a problem for Anolis. He worked closely with Ashley Popple from the Anolis UK office and also praised the speed of manufacturing and delivery, as the project timeline was extremely tight once the final design received approval.
The lighting installation was completed on site by electrical contractor Armadillo Lighting using a bespoke cable layout developed by Sutton Vane Associates, ensuring all wiring remained neat and properly protected.
Everyone involved is immensely proud of the project, noted Mark, which also coincided with Wandsworth’s year as London Borough of Culture in 2025. Mark enjoyed the experience and the camaraderie generated within a “highly skilled and talented” team responsible for delivering a public art initiative that will remain as a permanent legacy within the urban landscape of Clapham Junction.
Photos: Katie Walker
