In 2018, Quintain instructed Jason Bruges Studio (JBS) to create an uplifting intervention for the 'Royal Route' underpass at Wembley Park in London. The speed of change in the area revived the need for a distinct identity and artwork that would act as focal points along the visitor journey around the site and in particular towards Wembley Stadium.

Identified by Quintain as a key 'gateway' into the development, the Royal Route underpass is an opportunity to engage with Wembley Park's 16.4m annual visitors and to provide a memorable experience. Taking inspiration from the everchanging flow of people passing by, JBS proposed a digital intervention that references the past, when the Royal Family arrived in procession, and amplifies the present circulation of pedestrians.

Shadow Wall, integrated into the eastern elevation of the underpass and the columns, is a site-specific monochromatic media artwork activated by movement. A bespoke system of infrared light sensors reveals people's sillouettes on the surface of the underpass to create an interactive urban canvas. Confronted with their digital counterpart, passersby are encouraged to dance with their shadow and in turn with each other. In doing so, they create a dynamic palimpsest of overlaying figures.

Shadow Wall is a high-tech, permanent public art installation to be enjoyed throughout the year. It was launched in November 2019 as part of the first Wembley Park Winterfest and signals a future Wembley Park with culture at its core. The outcome is a playful, interactive experience that instigates public participation and sparks the imagination.

Wembley Park is Quintain's 85 acre development in North West London. The rapidly evolving district has seen the appearance of 2000 new homes, with 3000 more under construction and a total of 8,500 once complete. There's an exciting variety of new shops and restaurants, including Boxpark Wembley, and plans for three quarters of a million sq ft of offices. In 2018, Quintain instructed Jason Bruges Studio (JBS) to create an uplifting intervention for the 'Royal Route' underpass. The speed of change in the area revived the need for a distinct identity and artwork that would act as focal points along the visitor journey around the site and in particular towards Wembley Stadium.

Identified by Quintain as a key 'gateway' into the development, the Royal Route underpass is an opportunity to engage with Wembley Park's 16.4m annual visitors and to provide a memorable experience. Taking inspiration from the everchanging flow of people passing by, JBS proposed a digital intervention that references the past, when the Royal Family arrived in procession, and amplifies the present circulation of pedestrians.

Shadow Wall, integrated into the eastern elevation of the underpass and the columns, is a site-specific monochromatic media artwork activated by movement. A bespoke system of infrared light sensors reveals people's sillouettes on the surface of the underpass to create an interactive urban canvas. Confronted with their digital counterpart, passersby are encouraged to dance with their shadow and in turn with each other. In doing so, they create a dynamic palimpsest of overlaying figures.

The final installation carefully considers the lines of sight towards the underpass to improve the vista for pedestrians and to enliven their experience. As crowds approach the site, they witness animated figures that remember people who have journeyed through the underpass before them. Reaching the installation, their individual actions are captured and immediately played back via custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) that have been specifically developed by JBS for use inside the artwork. Each individual LED/sensor node across the surface of the underpass works autonomously, both sensing and emitting light simultaneously. Imagery emerges from the combined behaviour of each individual LED node. The 'shadows' are revealed without the need for daylight, and instead rely on a network of infrared lights, resulting in a captivating experience both during the day and magically at night.

Empasis has been placed on horizontal movement, which is seen in the carefully crafted diffusers that use an elongated oval shape to 'stretch' the light and amplify forward and backward motion. This, coupled with a decision to lengthen the time it takes for each image to degrade, adds to the dynamism of piece and responds to Wembley Park's association with sports and althetics. The effect is most evident when people run past the artwork and a visible trace of their motion lingers, painted in light.

To ensure artwork performs appropriately at different times of day and under different conditions, JBS have developed a unique system that allows them to gather data locally and respond accordingly. The PCBs have been engineered to take readings of the infrared light levels and feed this back to a computer. This is then processed using a gaming engine called Unity that in turn determines how the artwork should function in response. For example, when either no one is directly interacting with the artwork or if swathes of people are passing by, Shadow Wall plays back 'remembered' images so the visual effect is still readable and impactful.

Shadow Wall is a high-tech, permanent public art installation to be enjoyed throughout the year. It was launched in November 2019 as part of the first Wembley Park Winterfest and signals a future Wembley Park with culture at its core. The outcome is a playful, interactive experience that instigates public participation and sparks the imagination.