en.Wedoany.com Reported - The City of London Corporation and Transport for London have respectively delivered the renewal of heritage lighting installations at Tyburn Pier and Bazalgette Embankment, as part of the infrastructure upgrades along the Thames Tideway Tunnel project. This £4.6 billion tidal tunnel aims to transform London's aging sewer network. The expansion of sites along the route has created new riverside public spaces to accommodate tunnel facilities, also prompting upgrades to existing lighting assets. These two schemes were led by the FLO consortium, with FM Conway and consulting firm WSP among the broader project team.

At Tyburn Pier, the roads are lined with original Grade II listed cast-iron columns, some dating back to 1900, featuring decorative elements including dolphins, floral details, and the figure of Britannia. The project, delivered by Transport for London, required upgrading the lighting installations while prioritizing the preservation of these historic columns. Each casting was removed and transported to DW Windsor's factory in Hertfordshire, where a specialist restoration team repaired and repainted them using a combination of black, red, and gold finishes. Subsequently, new reinforced steel columns were installed, maintaining the proportions and appearance of the originals, complete with traditional scroll brackets and finials, as well as custom gold paintwork. The chain lights serve as like-for-like replacements for the previous luminaires, utilizing LED lighting technology and Zhaga sockets. They are currently fitted with Zhaga photocells, making the installations future-proof and allowing for the addition of CMS nodes when Transport for London adopts a central management system in the future. Upon completion of the work, DW Windsor collaborated with FM Conway to transport the restored columns back to the site and assist with their reinstallation.

At Bazalgette Embankment, the project, delivered by the City of London Corporation, faced different heritage challenges. The existing lighting features George Wormald's iconic dolphin base design, commonly known as sturgeon lamp posts. The sculptural bases and brackets were retained due to their architectural and historical significance, but the spherical lanterns above required replacement. DW Windsor developed a completely new internal lighting system to recreate the original appearance. Because the brackets were made using historical manufacturing methods and have weathered for decades, their dimensions and conditions vary. DW Windsor worked with specialist installer London and Kent to develop an adjustable mounting system, allowing each new spherical lantern to be securely fitted within the existing brackets. Inside the new spherical lanterns, two independent LED systems are installed: a CoB LED provides primary downward illumination, with a rear shield reducing light spill towards the River Thames; a second light source softly illuminates the upper area and the opal top cap, preserving the characteristic glow of the original spherical lanterns. The new lighting is specified at 2700K to produce a warm appearance suitable for the historic riverside environment. Urban Control's CMS technology is integrated inside the lanterns, with the antenna concealed to maintain the unchanged appearance.

Robert Macey, Operations Director at DW Windsor, stated that at Tyburn Pier, the priority was to preserve the character of the original installations. By restoring the columns and upgrading the lamp posts, brackets, and luminaires, the scheme was revitalized while introducing the required structural strength and technology. Alex Winship, Special Products Design Manager at DW Windsor, added that the challenge at Bazalgette Embankment was to recreate the appearance of the original spherical lanterns and completely redesign the internal lighting architecture. By combining two light sources, CMS integration, and an adjustable mounting system, the familiar glow was preserved while providing modern lighting performance. These lighting schemes are part of the broader work DW Windsor is undertaking on the Thames Tideway Tunnel project, which encompasses delivering heritage and contemporary lighting at multiple locations.