Potomac River Kaleidoscope
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Once serving as the drawbridge at the gateway of Washington D.C., this light installation creates refracted light compositions using dichroic and reflective acrylic at each window of the historic Light Tender’s House on the Potomac River. Viewed from afar, the installation serves as a rotating beacon for transforming light and color and creates a shared, memorable experience for those approaching the bridge towards the city.
The granite tower on the 14th Street Bridge, abandoned since the 1960s after the highway bridge was reconstructed, was long considered an eyesore. Today, a central lighthouse light rotates on a choreographed schedule based on 60 minutes of transformation for 24 hours. A series of six dichroic and mirrored surfaces, one for each facet of the tower, creates a kaleidoscope of light.
News
- WAMU 88.5: “What’s With The Kaleidoscopic Tower…?”
Client : D.C. Arts Commission
Photo : Alan Karchmer
Comprised of six dichroic and reflective resin surfaces, one for each facet of the tower, the installation creates a kaleidoscope effect of refracted light that shifts and evolves throughout the day. A central lighthouse light rotates on a carefully choreographed schedule, transforming over a 60-minute cycle, and operates 24 hours a day.
From afar, the installation serves as both a beacon and a visual landmark, reflecting the surrounding activity of the river and traffic back to drivers crossing the bridge at 40 miles per hour. In doing so, it redefines the tower's role, enhancing its aesthetic value while offering a captivating, constantly changing light show that welcomes visitors and commuters to Washington, D.C.
Process
Sketches and construction images of the kaleidoscope structure.
Sketches and construction images of the kaleidoscope structure.
