Renowned for his architectural illusions that playfully warp reality, Alex Chinneck has unveiled his latest public sculpture, A Week at the Knees, at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025. The four-storey rippling brick façade bends into a dramatic archway, inviting visitors to walk beneath its undulating form—a surreal yet strikingly elegant intervention in London’s historic Charterhouse Square.
Modelled after the surrounding Georgian architecture, the freestanding installation revisits the bending brickwork that first brought Alex Chinneck international acclaim with his Sliding House in Margate. Yet this iteration pushes boundaries further, crafted from 7,000 precision-cut bricks, 320 metres of repurposed steel, and bespoke bending windows, doors, and drainpipes.
Despite its monumental presence—5.5 metres tall, 13.5 metres long, and weighing 11.5 tonnes—the façade is a mere 15 cm deep, creating an uncanny sense of weightlessness. This delicate balance of scale and illusion reinforces Chinneck’s mastery of architectural deception.
Sustainability is woven into the project’s DNA: 4.6 tonnes of reclaimed steel salvaged from the former American Embassy in London slashes the carbon footprint by 9.3 tonnes of CO2. Collaborators including Cleveland Steel, Crittall Windows, and Michelmersh Brick Holdings ensured meticulous craftsmanship, while FabSpeed’s robotic cutting technology enabled the intricate brick patterning.
Chinneck’s work thrives on architectural disruption, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary. Past projects include melting buildings, levitating structures, and knotted lampposts—each blurring the line between art, design, and engineering. A Week at the Knees continues this legacy, offering an immersive public artwork that delights and disorients in equal measure.
Free to visit until the end of June, the installation is a must-see for design enthusiasts and public art lovers. Located in EC1’s Charterhouse Square, it’s accessible Tuesday to Saturday during daylight hours—a fleeting yet unforgettable encounter with sculptural innovation.