British designer Lee Broom has unveiled his first landmark installation for the London Design Festival, creating a spectacular site-specific sculpture called 'The Beacon' at London's South Bank. The monumental work comprises dozens of pulsing illuminated glass shades arranged in a chandelier-like formation, positioned prominently at the entrance of the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall.
The installation serves as a tribute to both the site's rich history and its iconic brutalist architecture. Broom specifically designed The Beacon to honor the 1951 Festival of Britain, which was held on the same South Bank location and was famously described as a "beacon of change" that showcased the best of postwar arts, science, technology, and design. The sculpture draws architectural inspiration from the Royal Festival Hall's postmodern design elements and the distinctive brutalist materials of the neighboring Hayward Gallery.
"I've always been hugely inspired by London and its architecture, especially the city's brutalist and modernist buildings, and having lived here most of my life, the Southbank Centre has long been a place of creative resonance for me," Broom explained. "There were so many architectural and cultural references I wanted to weave into Beacon. It is a tribute to both the history and the future of this iconic location."
The sculpture consists of multiple black lamp posts topped with recycled glass shades, reimagining the iconic street lamps originally designed in 1870 by George John Vulliamy for the Thames embankments. "By reimagining the language of street lamps as components of a vast, sculptural chandelier, Beacon acts as a luminous welcome to the Royal Festival Hall, visible across the Thames," Broom told Dezeen. "The chandelier form carries a sense of drama and spectacle, but also of gathering and illumination."
Strategically positioned for maximum visibility, The Beacon can be seen from key locations along the river, including the Embankment and both the Waterloo and Golden Jubilee Bridges. The installation features a sophisticated lighting system programmed to display dynamic light shows that synchronize with the hourly chimes of Big Ben's clock tower. The lighting sequence begins quietly before building to a dramatic crescendo, creating a rhythmic connection between the sculpture and London's daily temporal rhythm.
"Big Ben is one of London's most enduring symbols, and it felt like a beautiful way to tie Beacon into the daily rhythm of the city," Broom explained. "By synchronizing the choreography of light with the chimes of the clock across the river, Beacon becomes part of the fabric of London. It transforms the installation into more than a static object; it becomes a living part of the city, weaving together time, history, and presence."
Broom developed the installation in collaboration with Czech glass producer Brokis and sustainability specialist Materials Assemble, who assisted with engineering and fabrication. The designer revealed that the biggest challenge was creating a sculpture that could be completely disassembled and reused in the future, reflecting contemporary concerns about sustainability in large-scale art installations. Following the exhibition, the lighting fixtures will be sold as standalone pieces or smaller chandeliers, with a portion of the proceeds donated to charity.
The glass elements were manufactured at Brokis' factory in the Czech Republic using innovative fusing technology specifically developed to upcycle discarded glass fragments. Each glass shade is imprinted with a distinctive textured detail that replicates the Baltic pine grain pattern famously found in the cast-concrete walls of the Hayward Gallery, creating another layer of architectural reference within the work.
This landmark project represents a significant milestone for Broom, marking the first time he has been invited to create one of the London Design Festival's prestigious landmark installations, which are specifically designed to showcase innovative design, materials, and technology. The designer described the project as a "full-circle moment," noting that he first launched his debut collection during the London Design Festival in 2007.
Since that initial launch, Broom has created over 100 products that blend traditional craft techniques with innovative materiality, including a chair design that pays homage to musical instruments and a lighting collection inspired by outer space. His previous large-scale installations include a kaleidoscopic sculpture constructed from lights and mirrors, as well as a 10-meter-tall Christmas tree built entirely from individual pendant lights.
The Beacon installation will remain on display for the entire duration of the London Design Festival, running from September 13 to 22, 2025. Following the festival, the sculpture will continue to illuminate the South Bank through the Southbank Centre's Winter Light festival, which runs from late October 2025 through early February 2026, ensuring that Londoners and visitors can experience this remarkable fusion of art, architecture, and urban design throughout the winter months.
