Client
Unilever Plc
Stanhope Plc

Location
Blackfriars, London

Architect
Kohn Pedersen Fox

We were asked to develop a commission for Unilever's substantially redesigned corporate centre at Blackfriars that would reflect the company's commitment to innovation and animate the building's towering new atrium. Unilever's celebrated sponsorship of Tate Modern's Turbine Hall suggested a 'Big Tate/Little Tate' approach to the project, and the commission offered an exceptional opportunity for an artist.

Unilever and Stanhope were presented with a shortlist of international practitioners, and there was a unanimous decision to invite young British artist Conrad Shawcross (b.1977) to make a proposal. Shawcross developed his initial idea over a two-year period, in regular consultation with Stanhope's engineers and construction team, Arup and Bovis Lendlease.

Conrad Shawcross
Space Trumpet 2007
Photos © Stephen Brayne