Tidal Radiance

The Port Pavilion, at the tip of the Broadway Pier in San Diego, opened in December 2010. Light Projects designed the illumination for the San Diego Bay North Embarcadero as part of the collaborative design team for this waterfront esplanade. Following that job, the Port of San Diego’s public art division awarded Leni Schwendinger a commission for their minimalist glass-and-metal cruise terminal building.

A 45- by-16-foot wall sculpture, Tidal Radiance, was designed in concert with an environment of projections to evoke tides and sea life. Featured on the building’s exterior, custom cast glass and metal forms are mounted to a unique framework of tension wires. To set the stage for Tidal Radiance’s dramatic and luminous transformation during the darkened hours, it was important that its sculptural materials remain neutral by day. To accomplish this, Light Projects collaborated with the architect on material selections and other media that influence light and shadow qualities by sunlight.

After dark, Tidal Radiance becomes a shimmering, organic form with artwork elements seen from near and far. The artwork is visible to pier visitors, boats, pedestrians and motorists along the Embarcadero promenade.
The interplay between viewer and artwork is integral to Tidal Radiance. The spectator becomes a participant through spatial and sensory immersion in the luminous stenciled projections along the entry and perimeter of the terminal. This environment is composed of a complex line drawing, which is echoed in the cast glass of the wall sculpture.
Through the medium of light, chromatic seasonal compositions evocative of San Diego Bay culture and environment materialize.
Luminous greens express the whale watching season, and glowing golds the cruise season. During the moon cycles, the full moon is expressed and emanates pale blues, while the new and quarter emanate deep and medium blue hues.

Like all of Leni Schwendinger’s work, Tidal Radiance contains the element of change. Whether animated patterns or a calendar of seasonal light sequences, one of the continuing challenges is to utilize the property of light to brighten, fade, and disappear – and to respond to controlled voltages through highly sophisticated computer programming. This element of controlled changeability – combined with color symbolism – allows the artist to create public art that not only pleases the eye but communicates and displays nuanced messages about the environment we live in.

Port of San Diego

Architects: Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Fort Lauderdale