Brief
This year, the four Business Improvement Districts, Victoria, Victoria Westminster, Whitehall and the Northbank, will be collaborating to form under one brand, London Heritage Quarter.
As part of their official launch which included a new website and app, they wanted to activate their footprint and have a ‘Heritage’ themed Summer.
Alongside this momentous occasion, the National Gallery is celebrating its Bicentenary (200 years) so the idea was to plan an activation that complimented their programme of activity too. With so many other heritage sites situated within their footprint, the BIDs wanted a concept that would encourage visitors to learn about the history of these buildings and the surrounding areas.
Following the success of the Queen’s Jubilee Corgi Trail, which we brought to life in collaboration with the districts in 2022, London Heritage Quarter invited us to work together on another memorable and educational concept – celebrating the area’s history, benefiting local businesses, and attracting national and international visitors.
What we did
Between 15th June – 4th August we installed an interactive art trail across central London featuring 11 iconic London-themed sculptures. Aimed at local residents, tourists, families and adults, this trail was created to attract visitors from all walks of life and teach them about the heritage London has to offer.
In the initial stages of the project, we worked collaboratively with London Heritage Quarter to decide which symbols were best to include within the sculpture trail. They needed to be iconic, timeless and classically British. LHQ then reached out to Artiq, the London based art agency who champion equal opportunities for their artists. Each sculpture was hand painted by a chosen artist within their network who interpreted each symbol to create a unique design that also represented their own style.
In addition to these beautifully painted sculptures, each one was also linked to an augmented reality experience that revealed archival imagery of historic landmarks which were situated at each location. For example, the rain boots sculpture within Victoria Tower Gardens, at the end near the Houses of Parliament, visitors could scan the QR code on the plinth which revealed a special x-ray view showing Big Ben. This element was in collaboration with Westminster City Archives and local charity Thorney Island Society who provided the historical materials.
Whilst taking part in the trail visitors were also encouraged to tag the London Heritage Quarter for a chance to win Afternoon Tea at the Conrad London St. James hotel.
Teacup – Victoria Embankment Gardens
Teapot – Lower Grosvenor Gardens
Taxi – Trafalgar Square
Telephone box – Westminster Cathedral Piazza
Post-box – Supreme Court
Bus – Strand Aldwych
Crown – St James’s Park
Rain Boots – Victoria Tower Gardens
Top Hat – Whitehall Gardens
Guard – The Guards Museum, Wellington Barracks
Pocket Watch – QEII Centre
Deliverables
Applications And Processing – Each sculpture required a planning application plus each design and location needed to be approved by Westminster City Council and various steering groups.
Concept Development – Working closely with London Heritage Quarter we helped decide which sculptures would be suitable for the trail and ensure each design was accurate.
Logistics – Liaising with 11 separate artists and 11 separate central London locations to get the sculptures delivered, collected and installed was not an easy feat! However, we worked closely with Artiq and Westminster City Council to ensure a smooth process throughout.
