American light artist Leo Villareal and British architects Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands have won a hotly-contested competition to light up 17 central London bridges along the River Thames with a free, permanent installation.

London mayor Sadiq Khan announced yesterday (7 December) that the team’s design concept for the Illuminated River International Design Competition had triumphed over five other shortlisted entries from Adjaye Associates, AL_A, Les Éclairagistes Associés, Sam Jacob Studio and Diller Scott + Renfro.

The winning proposal, Current, imagines a gradual and colour-changing lighting scheme that will be synchronised across all the bridges.

Responding to the choice of the competition jury – which included light artists James Turrell and investor Lord Rothschild – Villareal commented: “I'm delighted and humbled by the fact they went with an artistically-driven vision for the Illuminated River,” said Villareal. “We’re deeply committed to this project. The whole team shares a belief in the power of large-scale public culture and art to enrich our cities.

“In order to nuance the concept design and create presence and legibility, we intend to take time to study the river in all its manifestations. We want to listen to Londoners in developing the scheme to deliver at all levels of art and light, urban design and architecture, the environment and sustainability.”

Villareal has been working with light and computer code for more than a decade and is best known his popular project The Bay Lights, which lit San Francisco Bay Bridge for two years before citizens pushed for it to become a permanent installation.

The artist pledged his team would develop a lighting masterplan for the Thames that “reduces pollution and wasted energy, is sensitive to history and ecology and subtly rebalances the ambient lighting on the river to provide a beautiful night time experience”.

Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands have worked on several major projects across London, including the Golden Jubilee footbridges, and helped develop the urban planning of the city’s South Bank.

Hannah Rothschild, chair of the Illuminated River Foundation, said: “Leo Villareal’s proven ability to paint with light matched with Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands’ direct experience of building bridges over the Thames was an irresistible and inspirational combination.

“Their scheme is beautiful, ambitious and realisable but always considerate to the environment, lighting levels and energy conservation. The jury is convinced that the winning team will transform the centre of London while remaining true to the spirit and integrity of the Thames and its communities.”

The winning team in full:

• Leo Villareal (Lead Artist)

• Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands (Lead Consultant)

• FuturePace (Curator)

• Atelier Ten

• Beckett Rankine

• Bradley Hemmings

• Core Five

• Futurecity

• Greenwich+Docklands International Festival

• Montagu Evans

• Pentagram

• Price & Myers