Tomodachi

Experimental designer and artist Alex Chinneck has created many unique architectural pieces using illusions and clever solutions, including sliding building fronts and even upside down apartments. True to his past work, Chinneck recently opened up his newest exhibit at the Covent Garden in London, England, where his work has wowed crowds by creating a seemingly floating building! Titled “Take my Lightning, But Don’t Steal my Thunder”, the installation recreates a section of the 184-year-old Covent Garden Market Building, and seemingly splits it violently in half, leaving a large chunk of the building floating 10 feet above the foundations on the ground below.



The building, of course, is not simply floating on its own, but is a clever installation piece that takes advantage of the use of lightweight polystyrene shaped around a system of 15.5 tons of steel beams. The piece is attached to a small nondescript stall next to the piece, which contains 4.4 tons of counterweights that keep the piece afloat. The polystyrene shell of the building was meticulously crafted and hand-painted over the course of 500 hours by Chinneck and his team of 100 contributors to create a lifelike representation of the building, using over one ton of paint to complete the installation. The finished piece, which has dazzled and confused visitors to the Covent Garden, will be on display until October 24, 2014.