{"id":123923,"date":"2025-05-23T00:44:12","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T00:44:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/123923\/"},"modified":"2025-05-23T00:44:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T00:44:12","slug":"a-rippling-townhouse-facade-by-alex-chinneck-takes-a-seat-in-a-london-square-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/123923\/","title":{"rendered":"A Rippling Townhouse Facade by Alex Chinneck Takes a Seat in a London Square \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

It takes a real knack for design to make something as hefty and industrial as steel and bricks appear weightless or even playful. But British artist Alex Chinneck<\/a> (previously<\/a>) is no stranger to monumental projects that reimagine urban infrastructure and buildings into striking public installations.<\/p>\n

As part of London\u2019s Clerkenwell Design Week<\/a>, Chinneck unveiled \u201cA week at the knees,\u201d a new sculpture in Charterhouse Square that takes its cue from an iconic predecessor<\/a>. The artist installed the \u201cFrom the Knees of my Nose to the Belly of my Toes\u201d in 2013 on a dilapidated townhouse in Margate, appearing as though the entire front of the building had simply slid right off. On view through June in London, his new work boasts a frame made from 320 meters of repurposed steel and 7,000 bricks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cA week at the knees\u201d playfully anthropomorphizes a classic Georgian facade, with its lower two levels rippling over a pathway as if seated in the park with its knees up. London is famous for its green squares and gardens, and Chinneck\u2019s work invites visitors to pass through a unique portal that calls upon the history of its surroundings, complete with downspout and lamps flanking the arched front door.<\/p>\n

Chinneck fabricated the sculpture in collaboration with numerous British companies to source and create bespoke steel beams, curving windows, and bricks. At five meters tall and weighing 12 tons, the piece mimics a life-size building while sporting a thickness of only 15 centimeters. The effect lends itself to the experience of a hefty, architectonic structure with a graceful, lightweight personality.<\/p>\n

Explore more on Chinneck\u2019s website<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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