Lee Broom Unveils ‘Beacon’ at London Design Festival 2025
An illuminated landmark reimagining Southbank’s cultural legacy
For London Design Festival 2025, award-winning British designer Lee Broom will debut his first landmark commission: Beacon, a monumental sculptural lighting installation that celebrates the history, architecture, and cultural identity of London’s Southbank Centre. Supported and produced by Brokis and Materials Assemble, the work will be unveiled on 13 September 2025 at the entrance of the Royal Festival Hall, where it will remain on view until 21 September as one of the Festival’s official Landmark Projects.
Standing as a striking symbol of both heritage and progress, Beacon draws inspiration from the Southbank’s Brutalist architecture and the enduring spirit of the 1951 Festival of Britain, once hailed as a “beacon of change.” In Broom’s hands, this legacy is reimagined as a colossal, immersive installation — a glowing intervention of light, memory, and collective experience.
A Monumental Vision for the Southbank
Positioned at one of London’s most culturally significant public spaces, Beacon will transform the entrance to the Royal Festival Hall into a site of spectacle and reflection. By day, its shimmering glass structure captures and refracts light; by night, it becomes an illuminated landmark visible from across the River Thames, the Waterloo Bridge, and the Embankment.
Broom describes Beacon as “a contemporary tribute to the enduring creativity of London’s Southbank — a place where art, design, and architecture converge.” This vision is underscored by the installation’s dynamic relationship with its surroundings: as Big Ben strikes each hour, the structure’s illuminated glass shades will spring to life in a choreographed display of light. Beginning with a slow, poetic pulse, the performance builds towards a dramatic crescendo, inviting audiences to pause, watch, and experience the city in a new way.
Material Innovation and Sustainable Design
Sustainability is at the heart of Beacon. Working closely with Materials Assemble, Broom has developed an innovative material palette that combines heritage references with cutting-edge production techniques. The structure’s glass elements are crafted at Brokis’ renowned Czech factory using a special fusing technology that upcycles discarded glass fragments into new forms.
Each textured glass surface echoes the Baltic Pine imprint famously embedded into the Hayward Gallery’s concrete walls, a subtle yet powerful nod to the area’s architectural history. Through this reinterpretation, Broom unites past and present, creating a material language rooted in renewal, memory, and sustainability.
Beyond its initial installation, Beacon has been engineered for longevity and reuse. After its deinstallation, each glass component will be repurposed into standalone lighting fixtures or pendant chandeliers, with a portion of proceeds donated to charity — ensuring the artwork’s legacy continues far beyond the Festival.
A Shared Experience of Light and Culture
More than an installation, Beacon is conceived as a collective experience. By positioning the work in the public realm, Broom invites both intentional visitors and accidental passersby to encounter it. Whether crossing Waterloo Bridge, strolling along the riverbank, or viewing from the opposite embankment, the installation offers a moment of light, connection, and reflection.
Following its premiere at the London Design Festival, Beacon will remain in place for the Southbank Centre’s Winter Light Festival, running from late October 2025 through early February 2026. This extended display allows the installation to engage audiences over several months, offering Londoners and visitors alike an evolving dialogue between design, architecture, and place.
Lee Broom at the Forefront of British Design
Known for his sculptural approach to lighting and interiors, Lee Broom is one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary designers, with a portfolio spanning installations, furniture, and product design. Beacon marks a new chapter in his practice, expanding his signature aesthetic into an urban, architectural scale while reaffirming his commitment to craft, innovation, and storytelling.
As one of the London Design Festival 2025 Landmark Projects, Beacon promises to be a defining highlight of this year’s programme — an illuminated statement about design’s role in shaping culture, identity, and public space.
Event Details
Beacon by Lee Broom
📍 Location: Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London
📅 London Design Festival: 13–21 September 2025
✨ Winter Light Festival: Late October 2025 – Early February 2026
🌐 Designer: Lee Broom
🔗 Festival: London Design Festival
