10 Portman Square

London, UK

Kate Maestri

Kate’s simple but beautifully effective design draws visitors through the entrance into a double height reception area. Our expert craftsmen perfectly mixed the blue and green enamels to create an uninterrupted blend of colour across the 14m span of glass, with each panel measuring 3m x 1.5m.

The public art proposal for the building conforms to the consented strategy. It proposed dichroic glass fins, together with a glass entrance screen which was commissioned as the predominant artwork. The colour of the glass fins is determined by the environment; the play of light reacts with the dichroic coating to create an ever-changing array of subtle colour on the Baker Street and Fitzhardinge Street façades.

The proposal for the glass entrance screen was to create a strong visual signature for the building. It highlights the relationship to Portman Square, has a clear connection with the exterior glass fins and has integrity as an artwork in its own right. The intention was to create a unifying link between the entrance and dichroic fins on the South and West façades through a continuous flow of colour and pattern around the building.

The colour palette used creates a direct link between the building and Portman Square. The large vista of changing sky visible above the rooftops of the square is reflected within the building with a wash of blue coloured glass, starting with a deep blue to distinguish the entrance and flowing through turquoise to a light blue as it moves into the reception area.

The pattern was created through the use of vertical stripes of mirror punctuating the wash of blue glass and reflecting fragments of the square, sky and buildings. The pattern of these mirrored stripes has been directly inspired by the west elevation of the building, echoing the linear form of the dichroic fins. This coloured glass wall becomes animated and interactive as people move through the space, creating an extra dimension to the artwork.