The London Festival of Architecture is taking place in London throughout June under the slogan "Voices". There was no shortage of Polish voices at this event, in fact, a whisper allowing a moment of pause in the hustle and bustle of a London street.
This year's LFA is curated by architect Dhruv Gulabchande (HFM Architects), journalist Amy Frearson (Dezeen), producer Chetna Kapacee (Wandsworth Council), architect Shahed Saleem (University of Westminster), Satu Streatfield (Mayor's Design Advocate) and Yẹmí Aládérun (Head of Development, Meridian Water project).
loudly and whisperingly
Oskar Zięta's installation "Whispers" is centrally located in the west side of the City of London, within the Fleet Street Quarter Business Improvement District, a former printers' district that is currently undergoing a dynamic transformation.
© Polish Cultural Institute in London
The installation consists of two metal forms - a taller, unenclosed one and a lower one in the form of a circle. Both are constructed of accordion-shaped vertical profiles, made using Zięta's flagship technology, FiDU (Freie Innendruck Umformung), or inflatable steel. By forcing air under high pressure into laser-cut flat pieces of sheet metal, the designer creates three-dimensional and lightweight sculptures and furniture.
At the opening of the installation in London, Oskar Zięta invited the public to co-create it - using the Blow & Roll method, the compact sculpture can be inflated anywhere, shaped together and its spatial expansion controlled.
Oskar Zięta's installation "Whispers" ("Whispers") in London.
photo: Alka Murat
Whispers are more than a metal object. They are a gesture - of presence, attention and silent participation.
The forms invite passersby to stop and have a conversation, which can even be carried out in a whisper - the lower form allows one to sit in a circle, while the higher one creates a screen separating the intimate space from the busy street. The installation will remain there until September 28, 2025.
Whether we speak in whispers or in half-voice - by sitting together in a circle, we can break down barriers and truly connect. [...] Designing public and private spaces, and even entire cities, would be meaningless without the voices that co-create them. There are many voices - they are often contradictory, sometimes silent. Let architecture give people the power to speak this voice - loudly or in a whisper
- says Oskar Zięta.
from Plopp to pop
This is not the only international success of Oskar Zięta this month! A week ago, on an Instagram profile promoting a perfume signed with the name of Billie Eilish, an American singer, the artist poses, sitting on a Zięta-designed chair - the iconic Chippensteel Chair.
© Eilish Fragrances
