London Festival of Architecture 2008 : Installation

10 Jun 2008 Special installation to mark the launch of the London Festival of Architecture Foster + Partners is designing and then erecting, with the help of the public, a special installation to mark the launch of the 2008 London Festival of Architecture (LFA) on Saturday 21 June. Part of the LFA’s Kensington, Chelsea and Knightsbridge Hub, the structure will be constructed and dismantled on Exhibition Road in a single day. The design will be revealed at the event and Foster + Partners is delighted to announce that the installation will incorporate a new eight channel site specific sound sculpture by artist Bill Fontana. This is Fontana’s second interactive piece with a Foster + Partners project – in 2006, his sound installation ‘Harmonic Bridge’ captured the reverberations of the Millennium Footbridge inside the Turbine Hall of Tate Modern. This new project will also form part of the free annual music festival along Exhibition Road, which will be pedestrianised for the day. The temporary structure will rise to over ten metres in height, feature tensile components and involve public participation. Members of the public will be invited to assist between 10.00am to 12.00pm and then help to raise the structure at 2.00pm. Situated adjacent to Imperial College, visitors will be able to experience the interior of the installation and the specially commissioned sound piece until 6.30pm. Credits: Designer: Foster + Partners Sound artist: Bill Fontana Engineer: Buro Happold Technical installation: ESS Projects With support from: Architen Landrell, Creative Technologies, Imperial College, Keim Paints, MediaCo , Rope & Marine Services, SheetFabs, Showstars, Stage One Mayfair Building