Riverlight

Riverlight is a residential-led, mixed-use development by St James, located on a five-acre former industrial site near Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the Thames. Futurecity developed and delivered the cultural strategy for Riverlight, one of the first residential schemes to be completed within the Nine Elms regeneration area. Promoted by the council as an exemplar for the Nine Elms regeneration area, the strategy proposed long-term activation of public space through artist commissions and cultural partnerships.

A ‘Lead Artist’ programme commissioned Simon & Tom Bloor, Kate Davis, and Peter Newman to collaborate with landscape architects Gillespies. Bloor’s Terra Ludi includes a sculptural bronze tree and stone outcrops integrated into the landscape. Davis and David Moore’s Light & Water uses reflective materials and seasonal shifts to create hidden interventions. Newman’s Skystation offers public seating designed to encourage sky-gazing.

Futurecity also brokered a partnership between St James and the Royal College of Art to establish StudioRCA, a meanwhile cultural space offering exhibitions, events and residencies. The partnership extended through the RCA Riverlight Award, commissioning five RCA Fine Art graduates to create permanent site-specific works for the residential lobbies - each visible from Nine Elms Lane and the Thames River Walk.

Riverlight demonstrates how culture can shape early identity in large-scale developments, combining public art, open space and local partnerships to embed creative value into a new neighbourhood.

Year

2013

Client

St James Group

Partners

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Royal College of Art (RCA)

Location

London

Service

Cultural Placemaking Strategy

Sector

Mixed Use & Residential