Skylon - London's Lost Icon

9th July - 13th July

Jubilee Gardens
The Southbank

In 1951, London’s skyline was transformed, as part of the Festival of Britain, by the erection of one of the most striking structures ever built in this country: the Skylon.

The Skylon was a 300 ft tower - an engineering marvel designed by architects Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, of Powell and Moya Architects. The architects' design was made structurally feasible by the engineer Felix Samuely. With a base 40 feet from the ground, the top nearly 300 feet high - the Skylon was more sculpture than building. It was part Zeppelin, part-rocket and floated like an up-ended airship above the South Bank. Dramatic by day, Skylon was even more radical, luminescent and exciting at night.

Until now, only photographs could remind us of the extraordinary vision of the Skylon (it was demolished in 1952). Now, between the 9th -13th July, the magic of the Skylon will be reborn on the Southbank . There will be a display on the history of the Skylon in Jubilee Gardens. The exhibition will include displays of the original construction.

This exhibition starts the launch of a nationwide campaign to rebuild the Skylon, which Jack Pringle, on behalf of the Royal Academy, will be leading.

For more information visit, www.lfa2008.org