Photos of “Ammonite” by Collectif Scale in the Cab Road by Rosie Powell, 2024.
Ammonite by Collectif Scale: Illuminating Heritage Through Contemporary Art
Installed in the atmospheric Cab Road tunnel beneath Brighton Railway Station, Collectif Scale’s “Ammonite” transforms this historic passageway into an immersive, kinetic light sculpture. As part of Dreamy Place Festival 2024, this striking installation merges contemporary digital art with Brighton’s rich architectural and railway heritage, reimagining an overlooked urban space through movement and illumination.
“Ammonite” is a dynamic, wave-like structure composed of glowing, animated light rods, evoking organic forms inspired by nature while embracing the aesthetic of digital futurism. The installation breathes life into the Victorian-built tunnel, a site steeped in history yet often unseen or unnoticed by the thousands of commuters who pass overhead each day. In doing so, it highlights how contemporary art can redefine our relationship with heritage spaces, offering new ways to experience and interact with them beyond their original purpose.
Bringing New Perspectives to Historic Spaces
Brighton has a long tradition of being a centre for artistic innovation, and Dreamy Place Festival continues this legacy by bridging the past with the present. The festival’s programme places pioneering digital artworks in significant locations across the city, using art and technology to unlock hidden histories and reimagine public spaces.
By inviting audiences to step into the Cab Road tunnel, “Ammonite” shifts this industrial relic of Brighton’s railway infrastructure from a place of transit to a site of wonder. It transforms a utilitarian space into an immersive artistic encounter, demonstrating the power of contemporary art to breathe new life into historic locations and create fresh opportunities for people to engage with the city’s heritage.
Through projects like this, Dreamy Place Festival showcases how art can illuminate the unseen, rekindle interest in forgotten spaces, and create new narratives that connect past, present, and future. “Ammonite” is not just an artwork—it’s an experience, one that allows us to see Brighton’s heritage through a different lens, shaped by light, movement, and imagination.
