The importance for Auckland of preserving its historic buildings is creatively highlighted in a new light-based installation artwork by John Radford in the Britomart development precinct (Auckland, New Zealand).

Lux Flux consists of 200 small, clear LED lights and incandescent bulbs scattered across the façade of Old Sofrana House, one of the 18 heritage buildings being preserved as part of the Britomart urban renewal project.

At night, pedestrian movements through the precinct trigger the lights, causing them to flicker across the 110-year-old façade in a seemingly random 15-second sequence.

Designed to highlight the grand old building’s architectural features, the work is a commentary on the importance of architecture to provide continuity in a world of constant change.

“While Old Sofrana House has stayed more or less the same over the decades, the light moving over it has been subject to constant shifts and changes,” says Radford. “Each moment of illumination in the artwork is like a tiny snapshot of a moment in the building’s history.”

The work is installed on the Galway Street façade at the rear of the building, which overlooks Station Plaza behind the Britomart Transport Centre. Its trigger points are located opposite Old Sofrana House, near the volcanic cone water feature in Station Plaza, and further away outside the Northern Steamship Co BrewBar & Restaurant on the corner of Gore and Tyler Streets.

Lux Flux is the first of an ongoing programme of public artworks that will be featured throughout the Britomart precinct during the development process and beyond. Future projects will be co-commissioned by Cooper and Company and RGCFA Ltd. RGCFA Ltd also provides curatorial expertise and art management.

Artist: John Radford
Title: Lux Flux
Date: 2008
Media: 200 clear LED lights and incandescent bulbs, wiring, adhesives, movement sensors
Dimensions: Variable
Commissioners: Cooper and Company
Curator: RGCFA Ltd
Project art management: RGCFA Ltd
Location: Old Sofrana rear façade, Galway Street, Britomart, Auckland CBD, New Zealand
Duration: approximately 2 years

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