Coronado Bridge – Artist for Coronado Bridge Illumination Approved by San Diego Port Authority
According to the San Diego Port Commission Peter Fink of FoRM Associates has been selected on the proposed project to illuminate the Coronado Bridge.
Estimated cost for lighting the bridge is between $4 million and $5 million. The funding is anticipated to be obtained through private sources, grants and fundraising. If funding is secured, a feasibility study on the project will be conducted.
The Fink team envisions illuminating the bridge with programmable LED lighting powered from electricity generated by wind turbines. The bridge pillars would be illuminated to emphasize the bridge as a welcoming gateway to celebrate the region. By using a color changing LED lighting system, an infinite number of lighting scenarios could be created and displayed.
The Coronado Bridge started construction in February of 1967 and opened to traffic in August 3, 1969. This was during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of San Diego. Toll was collected until February of 2009.
The Coronado Bridge is 11,179 feet long and ascends from Coronado at a 4.67 percent grade before curving 80 degress towards downtown San Diego. The maximum height of the Coronado Brides is 200 feet which allows US Navy ships to pass underneath. It is the longest box girder bridge in the world. More information on Wikipedia for the Coronado Bridge.
In April 2008, the Port released an international call for artists seeking qualifications of artist-led teams interested in developing environmentally-friendly lighting concept proposals for the bridge. A selection panel comprised of experts in the fields of art, architecture, lighting and green energy selected three teams as finalists.
The three teams were selected based on their aesthetic vision, expertise in large-scale lighting projects and commitment to energy conservation. They are the Bideau Company of Ballan-Mire, France; the Peter Fink team of London, United Kingdom; and the Ned Kahn/Patrick McInerney Associates/ARUP of California.
View the other video proposals for the Coronado Bridge illumination project.
