Last week Wylde Director Amy ditched the site drawings and headed into Bristol city centre for something a bit different; a wander around the brilliant Bristol Light Festival. After a full day on site (because of course), Amy still had enough in the tank to take her boys into the city to check out the installations.
In essence, the festival basically turns Bristol into one big, glowing playground – decorating our city’s well known spaces and building with light! Installations are dotted all over the city centre, so you end up properly exploring rather than just standing in one spot. From Castle Park to Cabot Circus – there were several highlights this year! A full-on colour explosion lighting up an otherwise very grey car park, completely transformed the feel of the space – proof that even concrete can look good with the right idea behind it. Something, we must say, we’re all too familiar with!
College Green had illuminated hot air balloons glowing away, a nice nod to Bristol’s balloon fiesta. Around the harbourside there were playful, oversized light pieces that reacted to movement which obviously got adults and children running about alike! Portland Square and other tucked-away corners of the city had their own surprises too, so you never quite knew what you were about to walk into.
What we love about this sort of event is how it shifts the mood of the city. Streets that you’d normally rush through suddenly become somewhere you actually want to hang around and appreciate.. It brings people into the centre in the evening, supports local businesses and reminds you that public spaces can be imaginative!
As people who work with buildings and spaces every day it’s a nice reminder that daring changes to familiar built environments really can be the transformation needed! Seeing Bristolian buildings lit up, reframed and used as backdrops for something creative makes you look at them twice and in a totally different (ahem!) light.
All in all, it was a top night – here are a few pics from this years festival – we can’t wait for the next!
