Any Angled Light: Bear Canyon Pedestrian | Bicycle Bridge
Albuquerque, NM | 2013 | 12,400 SF
Tillett Lighting Design won a competition sponsored by City of Albuquerque Public Art Program to create light art for the Bear Canyon Arroyo Bicycle/Pedestrian Bridge. Spanning Interstate 25 in Albuquerque, the bridge uses programmable, energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures with custom handmade dichroic glass lenses to conjure “a dream of water and memory of sky.” At twilight, the overpass reflects a stream of blue sky suggestive of flowing water, alluding to the area’s arroyo.
As darkness descends, the hidden qualities of the bridge’s lighting emerge, showing traces of purple, violet and pink that echo Albuquerque’s cinematically vibrant sunsets. The subtle flow of light creates a beacon seen from miles away, yet no light "leaks" into the sky above. The uplighting rebounds off the underside of the roof onto the path while the galvanized metal mesh sides of the bridge shimmer and gleam, establishing a unique presence that fits harmoniously in the natural environment and allows pedestrians and cyclists to feel safe and see their way across the span.
