Huge Sculpture Dangles From St Pancras Station Roof

James Drury
By James Drury Last edited 92 months ago
Huge Sculpture Dangles From St Pancras Station Roof

If you look up at St Pancras station from today, you'll see a huge new piece of art, dangling above your head.

Thought of Train of Thought, 2016, by Ron Arad for Terrace Wires at St Pancras International

Suspended on wires from the station’s Grade 1 listed Barlow Shed roof, as if floating, Thought of Train of Thought is an 18m twisted blade which rotates slowly to create an optical illusion of wave-like movement.

It was created by artist Ron Arad, in the latest of a four-year partnership between the station's owners and the Royal Academy. You may remember last year's One More Time by Cornelia Parker, which saw a black clock — the inverse of the station's famous timepiece — hung in the space.

"The rotation and the horizontal movement take turns in the viewers’ perception as the readings of the object alternate and the hypnotic effect is greater than the means, so will hopefully be the delight of the public at St Pancras," says Arad.

Wendy Spinks from the owners of St Pancras International, said: "Terrace Wires is about encouraging people visiting St Pancras to take a moment and look up. As the first moving installation commissioned for the space, we are excited to see how the public react and engage with this captivating piece."

Tim Marlow, Artistic Director at the Royal Academy of Arts, said: "Ron Arad’s work has always blurred the boundaries between architecture, sculpture, engineering and design which is why both the RA and HS1 are so excited by the project he has developed. Thought of Train of Thought will reflect — in every sense of the word — on one of London’s great urban structures. The experience should be both spectacular and thought provoking and offer the visitor a genuinely new perspective on a national landmark."

Last Updated 07 July 2016