   
Dark Waters
27 June - 20 July, 6am - 12:30am
Multiple London Piers
 
  
From the earliest settlement of its banks, the Thames has been the focus of life, industry and commerce for the towns and cities that cling to its sides. Londoners have always had a complex relationship with the river: it is a parent and an oppressive presence, a friend and a dark and dangerous force.
People travelled and worked upon the 'silent highway' as well as along its banks, their lives dictated by the tides and moods of the Thames as much as by activity in the city itself. The wharves, jetties and piers, which protrude into the river from the land, have always been the points at which these two symbiotic worlds connect. They are the means of access between the water and its banks, gates from one to the other.
River traffic was once central to the life of London, but as the city grew ever further from the Thames, human activity has all but left the river and its vital energy has been dissipated to the extent that modern Londoners have no contact with their founding father.
Dark Waters is about rebuilding this ancient relationship and the nature of the connections it forges.
Six piers along the Thames have been selected for audio visual installations that will connect Londoners with the Thames, allowing them to experience the waters on an emotional and immersive level. The exhibition will also relate the past, present and future of the river to give a sense of its entire life. As part of the London Festival of Architecture, the piers will link the main Hubs of the Festival, allowing visitors to travel between events and exhibitions by boat.
The Millbank, Embankment, Bankside, Tower, Canary Wharf and QE2 piers will become immersive audio spaces, which make the visitor aware of the river they are traveling along. This will continue with visual elements on board the connecting boats.
The project group comprises author and LFA President Peter Ackroyd, Iain Johnston (Bisset Adams), Colette Purnell (Bisset Adams), Nick Robertson (Wordsalad), Adam Guy (Multi-platform Development), Miranda Housden, (RIBA London), Antonia Faust (RIBA London), David Harcombe (Black Torch Audio), and architects and radio broadcasters Amenity Space.
Special thanks to exhibition sponsors: Ordnance Survey, Thames Clippers, Greenwich Peninsula, The Concrete Centre, Modular Lighting, Me-me.com Ltd, and media partner RIBA Journal. The exhibition is supported by RIBA London Major Partners: AndersElite, Design for London and Ordnance Survey and RIBA Partners: ARRK - Rapid Architectural Modelling, The Building Centre, Ibstock, Mercedes-Benz, Silver Fleet and Sir John Soane’s Museum.
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