Massive Sun Installation Lights up London's Trafalgar Square

Commuters heading to work in central London on Monday had the start to their week brightened by an art installation. 

 

The Trafalgar Sun, a large man-made orange ball of light, lit up Trafalgar Square in an effort to help locals shake their winter blues.

 

The public art installation was designed and built by the UK's leading artists' collective Greyworld. 

 

Their work has been commissioned by fruit juice experts Tropicana to launch their Brighter Mornings campaign.

 

The installation was given its own sunrise an hour before dawn to really stand out.

 

The Greyworld founder says that's the point of public art.

 

[Andrew Shoben, Greyworld Founder]:

"You really don't have more than a few seconds to catch someone's attention when they are moving through a space, so we're always looking at ways to interact with people and to give people that kind of opportunity to enjoy a piece of art that's very direct and what could be more direct than a sun?"

 

Built with the equivalent of 60,000 light bulbs and 30,000 times bigger than a football, the Trafalgar Sun creates an impressive glow.

 

Some members of the public felt it helped warm them up too.

 

[Maxine Green, General Public, Artist]:

"You actually can feel quite a lot of heat off this thing."

 

Shoben however explained his work does not actually produce heat.

 

[Andrew Shoben, Greyworld founder]: 

"To see people down there feeling that there is heat on them, that is the psychological effect of good sunlight, you know, and it was just so lovely to see people doing that and having that effect."

 

As the morning sun rose and the sky became lighter the contrast in colour was magnetic.

 

[Mark Mulloy, General Public]:

"Nice way to start your Monday actually."

 

The installation will stay in place for the whole day and is set to have its own sunset at around 1930GMT, extending the afternoon daylight in Trafalgar Square by an additional three hours.