Design of Adelaide Riverbank light feature not appropriate for precinct: council
THE design of a near $600,000 interactive lighting project on Adelaide’s Riverbank has been slammed as too glitzy and something you’d expect to “see on the Gold Coast” by city councillors.
THE design of a $600,000 interactive lighting project for Adelaide’s Riverbank has been slammed as too Gold Coast glitzy by Adelaide councillors.
A Renewal SA project titled “Reeds of Reflection” was to featrure 15 light clusters and animated LED lights spread along the southern riverbank path between King William Rd and Montefiore Rd bridges by early 2018.
But at a council meeting on Tuesday, elected member Phil Martin said the feature lights were “something you might expect to see on the Gold Coast”.
Councillors Alex Antic and Megan Hender also voiced their disapproval, saying the lights were unattractive and unappropriate for the area.
The council will now advise the State Government that it supports a feature lighting installation but wants other design option.
It had taken 18 months to develop the $595,980 installation which would boast timed animations for hourly light shows, with touch panels, microphones and motions sensors for the public to interact.
The River Torrens landscape inspired the design of the triangular shaped reeds, the largest which will stand up to 6.6m tall. Renewal SA project manager James Finnis said during the Ashes, “a person could walk past each cluster and a flash of red could come presenting a cricket ball”.
“Someone could stand at the start of the lighting feature, clap or interact with it in some way ... and it would then send a pulse of light across the precinct,” he said.
Construction was due to start in November and Renewal SA general manager people and place Georgina Vasilevski said they will work to ensure the changes have minimal impact on the total cost of the project.
“We will take the feedback from City of Adelaide elected members on board and factor them into the design, before re-presenting it to council,” she said.
“The project team and stakeholders are also exploring opportunities to create lighting choreography themed to match major events along the Adelaide Riverbank, such as Carols by Candlelight, New Year’s Eve and major football and cricket matches.”