Carrying out building works to a historic building in one of the busiest and most popular locations in London is a challenge, with security, site accommodation, building material deliveries and rubbish collection all to be hidden behind scaffolding. How to disguise all this?
Rather than the most common answer of an image of the building façade printed onto the sheeting over the scaffolding, at the east end of Covent Garden the opposite has been done with 32,000 sq ft of mirrors reflecting buildings opposite such as the Royal Opera House and the London Transport Museum and catching the many people passing by, the installation becoming this year’s artwork following on from previous years with artists such as Charles Pétillon, Alex Chinneck and Jeff Koons.
Behind the sculptural mirror “Reflect London”, a new rooftop restaurant is being fitted out for Sushisamba, following on from their success on the 39th floor of the Heron Tower.
Designed by design agency Sculptivate and creative advisors Verrecchia & Partners, the mirrors will remain in place for the rest of this year. Subtle changes in angles give new views of opposite buildings, while internally the height of the central lobby has been doubled and the southern hall has been extended in length through the reflective installation which will also provide interestingly different perspectives by day and by night.
“The refurbishment of the Market Building heralds a new era for Covent Garden so we wanted to take a moment to reflect, and encourage our visitors to do the same. We like to surprise so, rather than opt for traditional hoardings, we’ve created something more visually arresting for our visitors to discover.” (Beverly Churchill, Creative Director of Covent Garden).
A creative reflective installation that will become an attraction in its own right.
