Dynamic lighting transforms an historic Scottish bridge

The Dumbarton Bridge is much more than a convenient way to cross the River Leven near Glasgow, Scotland. Originally built in 1765, the iconic bridge features five elegant arches below and a beautiful balustrade above. Now, thanks to dynamic Color Kinetics LED lighting, the bridge can change colors to suit the moment—including glowing with the blue and white national colors of Scotland.

Color Kinetics luminaires wash vibrant color over the full expanse of the bridge, including its highly textured stone arches. The bright colors reflect on the Leven River below, creating a dramatic, eye-catching effect for travelers on the bridge, as well as those on the river and along its banks. LITE Architectural—a leading LED lighting solutions provider based in Lancashire, UK—took on this challenging project, spearheaded by the West Dunbarton City Council. It specified Color Kinetics LED luminaires for the project because of their consistent, dynamic color across luminaire types, as well as their proven ability to operate reliably and flawlessly under difficult conditions.

Color Kinetics C-Splash 2 submersible spotlights were positioned at the base of the bridge, pointing up into its elegant arches. C-Splash’s IP67-68 rating gave LITE confidence that these rugged, watertight spotlights could withstand periodic flooding of the River Leven. Color Kinetics Graze Powercore MX4 luminaires, placed pointing downward from along the upper portion of the bridge, provide bright, controllable RGBA light that grazes the roughly textured stone.

Powercore, Color Kinetics’ patented, proven power management system, streamlined the installation process. Fast progress was critical, since working on the bridge posed many challenges, and the work needed to be completed in a short period of time—without inconveniencing local residents. According to project managers, Powercore helped cut installation time and cost significantly.

The bridge lighting can be changed for special events via mobile phone, enabling local leaders to customize the lighting according to their needs. No matter what colors light the Dumbarton Bridge, its Color Kinetics luminaires continue to provide flawless performance years after the initial installation.