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Traffic Light Tree

Traffic Light Tree is a public sculpture by the French artist Pierre Vivant, created for the London Docklands Development Corporation’s Public Art programme. Installed in 1998, it originally stood on a roundabout in Canary Wharf at the junction of Heron Quay, Marsh Wall and Westferry Road, before being moved to a roundabout near Billingsgate Market in Poplar, London. Eight metres tall and fitted with 75 sets of computer-controlled lights, it was designed to echo the nearby London plane trees and the changing pace of surrounding domestic, financial and commercial activity. Although some motorists first mistook it for real traffic signals, it soon became a popular local landmark.

Traffic Light Tree sculpture glowing with red, green, and amber lights at night
Pierre Vivant’s Traffic Light Tree illuminated in London at night.
May 2008 © · CC BY 2.0
Traffic Light Tree sculpture made of green poles and many illuminated traffic lights in Canary Wharf, with buildings and vehicles behind it.
The Traffic Light Tree sculpture in Canary Wharf, shown with its illuminated traffic lights against the city backdrop.
December 2010 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Traffic Light Tree sculpture made from green traffic light poles, with illuminated red, amber, and green signals in an urban street setting.
The Traffic Light Tree stands in an urban roundabout, with modern buildings and a red double-decker bus in the background.
December 2015 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Traffic Light Tree sculpture made from dozens of traffic lights, with some lights glowing red and amber, on a roundabout island near a tall building.
The Traffic Light Tree stands on a roundabout island in Canary Wharf, with several of its traffic lights lit.
May 2007 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Traffic Light Tree sculpture glowing with red, yellow, and green lights among surrounding trees in an urban setting.
The Traffic Light Tree illuminated in red, yellow, and green, partly framed by nearby trees and urban buildings.
September 2020 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleTraffic Light Tree
Alternative nameAmpelbaum
TypePublic sculpture / light sculpture

Creator

ArtistPierre Vivant
Artist nationalityFrench
Artist birth year1952

Historical context

UnveiledFebruary 1999
Installed1998
Created in1998–1999
Conceived in1998
Commissioned byLondon Public Art Commissions Agency for the London Docklands Development Corporation's Public Art programme, through a competition

Discovery and provenance

Original locationA roundabout at the junction of Heron Quay, Marsh Wall, and Westferry Road in Canary Wharf, Tower Hamlets, London
Original site contextInstalled where a plane tree had been suffering, and later replaced, probably because of traffic pollution
RelocatedYes, in 2013
Removal dateDecember 2011
Relocation dateEnd of 2013
Current locationA roundabout on Trafalgar Way in front of Billingsgate Market, Poplar, London, United Kingdom

Physical characteristics

Components75 traffic lights and pedestrian lights
HeightJust under 8 metres
FormTree

Materials

MaterialGreen-painted steel and traffic lights
Colours usedGreen, yellow, and red

Technique

Control systemComputer-controlled

Appearance

Lighting behaviourThe lights change cyclically, each at its own rhythm
Branch material detailAbout 75 street traffic lights

Iconography and meaning

InspirationThe nearby London plane trees
Intended meaningTo reflect the rhythm and bustle of Canary Wharf and the financial world
Original lighting conceptThe lights were originally intended to change according to activity on the London Stock Exchange

History and restoration

Official relighting date20 January 2014
Ceremony leaderMayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman
Official relighting locationThe new location
Original concept statusToo expensive to implement
Planned re-erection dates11 November 2013 to 11 December 2013
Planning application statusA planning application was received to reinstall the sculpture at Trafalgar Way roundabout
Planned location after removalThe Isle of Dogs

Location and ownership

OwnerTower Hamlets Council

Significance

Public reactionInitially confused some motorists, but soon became a favourite tourist attraction among locals and visitors
Survey recognitionRated a clear favourite in a 2005 Saga Motor Insurance survey of British motorists' views of roundabouts