Concept:
Materials + Tech
6040 digitally addressable pixels, Opal Acrylic, Fibreglass Tube, PVC, TOF sensors, Minirig Speakers.
Brief
To create a series of illuminated reeds that can float on a canal and play music, that can be triggered to play different sounds and illuminations, triggered by interactions by members of the public.
Client
Accent London / FORCardiff
Year
2023 - 2025
Location
Cardiff
Accent London won the commission to create a winter light display that would sit floating on a newly uncovered section of canal in central Cardiff. The artwork consisted of 302 illuminated “bull rush” reeds paired with a bespoke ambient soundtrack by a local composer. The public could interact with the piece through integrated trigger pads that influenced both the light sequences and the audio.
What We Were Working With
Placing hundreds of individually wired light elements on water introduced some immediate challenges:
How to keep the entire structure floating safely
Weatherproofing for a winter-long installation
Complex wiring across 302 individual reeds
Cable management
Power distribution
Maintenance access
A unified control system
Practical installation on an active canal site
We needed a system that could survive the conditions, remain serviceable, and still feel seamless and magical to the public.
Smart Power + Data Distribution
Every module had its own dedicated power and data feed, routed into the reeds via a custom PCB designed to simplify wiring and ensure consistent distribution.
The main power routed through a fuse board in each module, providing granular control and easier fault-finding.
Maintenance-First Design
Each reed was designed to be individually removable. If a reed failed, it could be swapped out quickly without disturbing adjacent units.
How We Made It Work
We divided the sculpture into seven modular units, each built from expanded PVC sheet—naturally waterproof and robust. Internal chambers within each unit provided protected spaces for all electrical connections.
We partnered with a local pontoon supplier, who provided a stable floating base onto which our modules could be installed.
LED Control System
We built a volumetric LED control system in TouchDesigner to manage the 6,040 individual LED pixels. It handled:
Live audio integration
Trigger-pad input
Real-time animation control across the entire floating array
Sound Integration
We collaborated with MiniRig, a local audio company located just around the corner from our workshop. Three MiniRig speakers were built directly into the trigger-pad structure, producing an immersive, responsive audio field that wrapped around the viewer as they interacted with the piece.
Installation
Thanks to the modular system, installation became a relatively painless sequence of dropping modules into place, connecting them along the pontoon, and running a single combined power and data line back to a control computer hidden beneath the stage area inside a waterproof enclosure.
The final installation created a warm, reactive glow across the canal surface. Visitors could influence both sound and light simply by stepping onto the trigger pads, bringing the whole array to life. The piece blended engineering, interactivity, and environmental sculpture—transforming the canal into a winter centerpiece for the city.
