Square the Block

Look up! Do you see that strange, jumbled mass of stone on the corner of the building? That’s Square the Block by the artist Richard Wilson. It’s not just a sculpture, it’s a deliberate disruption of the building’s facade, a crumpled, almost unstable corner that throws off your perception of the building. Square the Block is part of the London School of Economics’ New Academic Building, formerly known as the Office of Public Trustee and Lunacy Commissioner. Richard Wilson, a renowned sculptor, was commissioned in 2006 to create a piece of art that would transform this building into a dynamic part of the city’s creative landscape.
The artist chose to mimic the building’s existing facade by using water-based acrylic composite, Jesmonite, that matched the Portland stone cladding. He created several vertical slices from neighboring buildings and had them reproduced. These copies were then attached to a six-storey triangular aluminium truss. The entire structure was lifted into place and suspended from the fifth floor, secured at the second and sixth floors. Imagine the engineering feat involved in installing this massive sculpture, a challenge Wilson embraced by working with engineers Eckersley O’Callaghan.
The sculpture, installed in 2009, is an impressive example of how art can challenge our perceptions and engage us in dialogue with the environment. The crumpled, jumbled appearance of Square the Block is a constant reminder that everything is not as it seems, that the ordinary world holds unexpected wonders. You see, the whole piece is actually made of a composite material, almost like a puzzle, and you can’t tell without looking very closely! It’s a bit of a clever trick, isn’t it? So, next time you’re walking down Kingsway, take a moment to look up at the corner of the New Academic Building. Square the Block is a masterpiece of modern sculpture, an intriguing conversation starter, and above all, a reminder that art can transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.