Nocturne, also known as The Light on the Tyne, is a distinctive light artwork, which brightens up the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in Newcastle. The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge carries the Metro across the River Tyne, providing a link between Newcastle and Gateshead. It was built at a cost of £4.9million and officially opened by the Queen in 1981.
Nexus operate the Tyne and Wear Metro and, since 1980, they have tried to improve their customer’s public transport experience by commissioning artwork. The transport company commissioned Nayan Kulkarni to install Nocturne in 2006. They decided to commission a light artwork, as the River Tyne’s Millennium Bridge, High Level, Tyne Bridge, and Swing Bridges were already illuminated.
Using the rippling water of the River Tyne as an inspiration, Kulkarni chose to use colour-changing lights on his artwork. He said: “Like the slowly moving waters below the steelwork, I wanted to create a light work that would constantly change.” 36 banks of LED lights were set within the steel structure of the bridge in order to light it. LED lights were chosen specifically, as they are compact, long lasting and surprisingly energy efficient.
The bridge itself was painted two distinctive shades of blue for Nocturne. This colour means that the artwork could be enjoyed during the day, as well as during the night. Despite this, it is still during the evening that Nocturne truly delights, as the entire Queen Elizabeth II Bridge is completely bathed in a veritable kaleidoscope of constantly changing coloured lights.
Nocturne was finally completed on 26 April 2007, and it is now the biggest light artwork in Britain. The massive artwork has been constructed to last at least 15 years, so we’ll be able to enjoy it for many years to come.