Behold! A full-size London bus folded upwards at a sharp 90-degree angle. This isn’t your everyday public transport. This is the Bus Sculpture.
The iconic single-decker appears to have been bent in half. Its rear end reaches almost six metres off the ground.
The Bus Sculpture is part of a unique art project. It was commissioned by Samsung to launch their Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6. The phones come with new AI features.
Artist Caspar Philips created the folded red bus. He used recycled materials from real London buses. It took two months to design and build the Bus Sculpture to scale.
The Bus Sculpture appeared in Bishops Square. For the event, it was temporarily renamed Fold Square.
Samsung created a Fold Town to celebrate their new phones. The Bus Sculpture wasn’t the only folded piece. There was also a folded bench, lamppost, and telephone box. These were in Old Street, renamed Fold Street.
The folded telephone box even had a payphone. A phone book was inside. The lamppost folded at nearly three metres tall.
The Bus Sculpture highlights the flexibility of the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6.
A Samsung AI Bus joined the Bus Sculpture. It offered family-friendly experiences. People could try the new Galaxy Z series. Free drinks were available. Visitors could win vouchers worth £2,000 for a holiday.
The Fold Town event included other attractions. Samsung teamed up with hTown, a skate streetwear brand. They installed a skate ramp to celebrate features of the Galaxy Z Flip.
Samsung partnered with local businesses. They featured in-store posters and hosted Galaxy AI Hype Labs workshops. Influencers Adrien and Lia Lewis led the workshops. Consumers discovered Galaxy AI and the latest Galaxy Z series features.
From Fold Street to Fold Square, the area was transformed. There was a wrapped taxi and hand-painted murals. Digital displays also featured the event.
Annika Bizon, Director of Marketing at Samsung, welcomed everyone to Fold Town. She highlighted Samsung’s history of innovation, from folding glass to folding buses.
Emma Strain of Transport for London (TfL) said the partnership brought fun to London. It also allowed brands to engage positively with people passing through the stations.
The Bus Sculpture and Fold Town were temporary. They only remained in place for four days, until July 27, 2024. Still, the Bus Sculpture made a lasting impression. It showed how art and technology can come together in surprising ways. It made commuters stop and stare. It made them think about everyday objects in a new light.