Once upon a time masons and labourers were the ones responsible for the creation of city’s skylines. Travelling from one building site to another, they were custodians of secret passwords, used to identify their level knowledge within the Masonic brotherhood. They built majestic cathedrals that in turn defined the cities we now live in. Progressing through the ages, Architects became the masters of the new cities. Famous was Le Corbusier for wanting to raise Paris to the ground, in order to re build it full of towers skyscrapers and new buildings much more apt to celebrate the modern times he lived in. So it is only strange that today’s inspiration comes from a mobile phone brand. In fact the Samsung UK flagship store in Westfield has put up an installation that tackles the future landscape of London.
Skyscrapers, old and new crowd in with tall buildings made up of modular units stretching towards the sky, elevated railways show futuristic train carriages, taking people ever so fast across town. Windmills and green energy power stations blend in the urban environment, completing the picture of a utopian London. Will the Londoners like it? Will mobile phone brands be the new masters of our cities? Judging by this installation they wouldn’t do a bad job.
