We all know too well, there is a lot to love about London. Our capital city boasts some of the best culture, cuisine, fashion and design around the world. Its neighbourhoods are like villages, so that it can feel like multiple cities in one. But one of the things that makes it such a special place is how much green space we are lucky to have in every part. Not just the major parks such as Hyde Park, Regent’s Park or Hampstead Heath, but smaller local parks, greens and secret nooks in which to picnic, read or rest.

It's sometimes the rest we need most in such a vibrant – sometimes exhaustingly so – city, and a connection with nature in a real sense. So, boasting 8.4 million trees, London can be proud of its official status as a forest.

We came across a new public artwork in the beating heart of Soho, which combines some of the best characteristics of London together: ‘London is a Forest,’ which was created by Acrylicize, a visionary design studio, is a giant steel, permanent public artwork that seamlessly blends art, nature, and technology redefining the visual landscape of the neighbourhood.

Acrylicize were asked by Landsec, owners of the famous Lucent building, to create a site-specific artwork that could provide a sense of placemaking and cultural character, whilst delivering on the need for the building to be experienced as an ‘oasis of calm’ in the busy city centre. And so, ‘London is a Forest’ marks the connection between the Capital’s Forest status and the digital network embedded in the heart of the city. The intricate steel branches symbolise the connection to natural rhythms within the city, embodying the London’s network of technology and data.

The artwork 'floats' above the Devonshire pub in Piccadilly, appearing as light as a feather drifting in the breeze – yet dominating the north-west wall of the new Lucent Building. Spanning an impressive 7m x 11m x 2.5m and coated in a white ceramic material, the branches interact with the space and adjacent walls, creating a dynamic interplay between nature and technology.

Using algorithmic particle systems to emulate organic fractal growth, Acrylicize were able to create the authentic representation of intricate natural branch systems on an architectural scale. The result is an architectural synthesis of fractal forms that cleverly interact with the space, harmonising with both the environment and the organic patterns of growth. 

“The work encourages us to contemplate the complexities of our interconnected existence within the natural world, reminding us that nature's subtle elegance can still be found amidst the intensity of a hyper-connected city,” said James Burke, Founder and Global Creative Director at Acrylicize.

So, if you are ever passing by, do one thing – look up, and take that moment to pause and reflect on your relationship with nature and technology, and your sense of place in this wonderful city of London.

For more information about 'London is a Forest' and Acrylicize, visit acrylicize.com.

Words by Tani Burns