Have you spotted a colourful selection of sculptures dotted around central London? That’ll be the London Heritage Quarter’s brand new art trail celebrating the capital, produced in collaboration with We Are Placemaking!
The London Heritage Quarter is the collective of four Business Improvement Districts which cover South Westminster – Victoria, Victoria Westminster, Whitehall and Northbank. Following the success of the Queen’s Jubilee Corgi Trail, which We Are Placemaking produced in 2022, the BIDs invited We Are Placemaking to collaborate on another incredible concept – celebrating the area’s history, benefiting local businesses, and attracting national and international visitors.
The trail has already been a widely featured in the press – with BBC, Secret London, Time Out London, Londonist and Far Out Magazine amongst those celebrating the launch.
Find out more about the trail with LHQ’s official announcement below.
The London Heritage Quarter, the collective of four central London Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), has announced a series of vibrant summer activities that will celebrate the area’s rich history, culture, and community. This series of events will commemorate significant anniversaries, including the 200th anniversary of the National Gallery, while benefiting local businesses, residents, and attracting national and international visitors.
From June 18 to August 4, the Heritage Summer Trail will span from Victoria to the Strand, passing through Westminster and Whitehall. The unique trail features eleven London-themed sculptures, including iconic symbols like a British post-box, a London bus, black cab, phone box, a Coldstream Guard, as well as a larger-than-life sculpture of a crown near Buckingham Palace, just in time for King Charles’s birthday on 15 June.
Each sculpture has been meticulously painted by artists from Artiq, the London-based art agency known for curating and commissioning contemporary art in diverse settings while advocating equal pay for artists.
Enhancing the experience, each sculpture will be linked to augmented reality (AR), revealing archival imagery of nearby landmarks and the surrounding area via a QR code embedded on the plinth of the respective sculptures. This particular feature is the result of a collaboration between Westminster City Archives and the local charity Thorney Island Society, who helped source some of the historical materials, providing an educational and interactive experience for all visitors.
The trail is designed to appeal to all ages, with AR historical content, colourful installations and summer walking tours.
Ruth Duston, CEO of London Heritage Quarter, said, “We are excited to present this trail, a tribute to the rich heritage and lively culture of the London Heritage Quarter. Each custom-made sculpture, honouring iconic British symbols, provides an engaging, interactive experience for both local and global visitors.
As the summer season approaches, this trail stands out as a unique addition to London’s diverse attractions, offering a fresh and exciting way to explore the city.”
Tazie Taysom, Commercial Director at Artiq, commented, “Our artists are delighted to be part of the London Heritage Quarter Summer Trail. This project provides a fantastic platform for contemporary art to be enjoyed in public spaces, and we are proud to contribute to the cultural tapestry of London.”
| Sculpture | Artist | Location | AR content – historic imagery |
| Teacup | Marcus | Victoria Embankment Gardens – next to the Robert Raikes Statue | VEG Bandstand |
| Teapot | Courtenay | Lower Grosvenor Gardens | Victoria Station internal |
| Taxi | Jyoti | King Charles Island (close to Trafalgar Square) | National Gallery & TSquare |
| Telephone box | Carlos | Westminster Cathedral Piazza | Pope visit to the Cathedral in 1982 |
| Postbox | Gala | Supreme Court | Pre-refurbished Court internal |
| Bus | Shumaiya | Strand Aldwych | Strand Aldwych with historic vehicles |
| Crown | Daniel | St James Park – close to the Memorial Gardens, near the coffee stand | Buckingham Palace with historic vehicles & bandstand |
| Rain Boots | Fatima | Victoria Tower Gardens – end closest to Houses of Parliament | Houses of P, with x-ray visual seeing Big Ben behind |
| Top Hat | Yi Ling Lai | Whitehall Gardens – Northern end near James Outram Statue | Hungerford Bridge |
| Guard | Sophie | The Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks | Wellington Barracks |
| Pocket Watch | Beatrice | QEII Centre – UN Lawn overlooking Westminster Abbey | Westminster Abbey, with historic vehicles |
Check out more creative placemaking projects.
