by British designer Paul Cocksedge created the Loop, a large sculpture made of steel and metallic fabric that hangs from the ceiling in the London office building The Rowe.
Designed to creatively occupy the building’s lobby, the art installation consists of large rings of steel and metallic fabric reaching 5.5 meters in length.
Resembling a single piece of thin metal fabric, Loop’s design was inspired by the space surrounding The Rowe.
The project is located in Whitechapel, a culturally diverse neighborhood in east London known for its clothing and textile production.
“When you arrive on Whitechapel Road as you enter the city, it’s a true display of London’s tremendous cultural mix,” Cocksedge told Dezeen.
“You take a look at the past, the present and the future, and you see that especially in Whitechapel,” he added.
“There’s such an explosion of colour, texture and pattern, with things displayed in the display cases and counters and dangling pieces of sparkly jewellery. It’s a real melting pot of materiality, color and culture.”
The metallic materials and colors of the installation are also a nod to the building’s past as a bell foundry.
Cocksedge worked with a UK-based company to construct loops, one of which also functions as a seat, creating a hybrid fabric made from structural cotton.
This acts as a load-bearing element and is sandwiched between two thin layers of metallic colored cotton.
“We wanted the person to be the focal point of the artwork, which was a challenge for manufacturing,” Cocksedge said. “We needed a material that was both decorative and structural.”
Steel elements support fabric loops to support the weight of visitors. The interactive aspect was an important part of the design, as the lobby of the building was open for anyone to enter and see the statue.
“Public art is generally untouchable,” Cocksedge said. “But sometimes when you’re in a public space, letting people get involved adds a whole different dimension and creates an emotional and hopefully more memorable experience.”
Alongside the Loop, The Rowe is home to another large-scale art installation by London designer Yinka Ilori.
Cocksedge’s previous work includes another installation in the shape of a loop, the Time Loop in Hong Kong and an undulating common bench in London.
