Hawthorne Bridge Lighting and Lift 100: PDX Bridge Festival 2010

"The centerpiece of this years festival is the Hawthorne Bridge, which celebrates its hundredth anniversary in 2010. In honor of the centennial of the nation’s oldest working vertical lift bridge, we’ve designed an installation that will transform this bridge into a large-scale work of kinetic art. The lighting display makes use of programmable and environmentally aware lighting technology to interact with the nightly vehicle and bike traffic on the bridge. The lights accentuate 48 panels of colored fabric installed in three spans of the bridge trusses, turning the structure into a wash of color and moving light, and marking the rhythm of commuter traffic as it moves across the bridge. The installation will be visible for the 15 days of the festival and can be viewed from neighboring bridges, both esplanades of the Willamette River and downtown buildings."

For more information about the Portland Bridge Festival, the Hawthorne Bridge's 100 year anniversary, the bridge lighting and lift, and the Multi-Media Hawthorne Bridge Show on July 31st, check out the PDX Bridge Festival website here.

All photos © Allison Jones 2010