Public art & sculpture · London
Skylon
In or near London.
Skylon in England London, United Kingdom.
Peter Beaven — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1 h–2 h
- Nearest railway station
- Waterloo · 0.4 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
About
Skylon is a public sculpture in England London, United Kingdom, dating from 1951. Britain's public art ranges from Henry Moore reclining figures and Anthony Gormley installations to the Angel of the North and the surviving statues of empire.
Photo gallery
360° viewimagery from 2024
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
From the Wikipedia article
The Skylon was a futuristic-looking, slender, vertical, cigar-shaped steel tensegrity structure located by the Thames in London, that gave the illusion of floating above the ground, built in 1951 for the Festival of Britain. A popular joke of the period was that, like the British economy of 1951, "It had no visible means of support".
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
The Skylon was the "Vertical Feature" that was an abiding symbol of the Festival of Britain. It was designed by Hidalgo Moya, Philip Powell and Felix Samuely, and fabricated by Painter Brothers of Hereford, England, on London's South Bank between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge. The Skylon consisted of a steel latticework frame, pointed at both ends and supported on cables slung between three steel beams. The partially constructed Skylon was rigged vertically, then grew taller in situ. The architects' design was made structurally feasible by the engineer Felix Samuely who, at the time, was a lecturer at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in Bedford Square,…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.5047, -0.1186
- District
- Lambeth
- Parish
- Lambeth, unparished area
- Postcode
- SE1 8XU
- Parliamentary constituency
- Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
- Established
- 1951
- Nearest railway station
- Waterloo — 0.4 km
- Official site
- international-brigades.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q7537939 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Skylon (Festival of Britain) (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Jubilee Oracle
Public art & sculpture · 0.1 km
Jubilee Oracle
Public art & sculpture · 0.1 km
.jpg?width=1200)
Jubilee Gardens
Parks · 0.1 km
International Brigades Memorial
Memorials & monuments · 0.1 km
Bust of Nelson Mandela
Public art & sculpture · 0.2 km
Skateboard Graveyard
Memorials & monuments · 0.2 km
London Eye
Natural landmarks · 0.2 km
The London Eye
Viewpoints · 0.2 km
Royal Festival Hall
Theatres · 0.2 km
Lion Brewery, London
Breweries · 0.2 km
Hungerford Bridge
Historic bridges · 0.2 km
Southbank Centre Food Market
Farmers’ markets · 0.2 km
Nearby
📷 5Public art & sculpture · London
Jubilee Oracle
Jubilee Oracle — Public artwork (sculpture).
📷 5Public art & sculpture · London
Jubilee Oracle
Jubilee Oracle in England London, United Kingdom.
📷 5Parks · London
Jubilee Gardens
Jubilee Gardens is a park in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · London
International Brigades Memorial
International Brigades Memorial is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Public art & sculpture · London
Bust of Nelson Mandela
Bust of Nelson Mandela in England London, United Kingdom.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · London
Skateboard Graveyard
Skateboard Graveyard — a memorial in england-london, United Kingdom.
Where to eat & stay near Skylon
Places to stay
📷 5Hotels · London
London Marriott Hotel County Hall
London Marriott Hotel County Hall — a hotel in england london.
📷 5Hotels · London
The Royal Horseguards Hotel, London
The Royal Horseguards Hotel, London — a hotel in england london.
📷 5Hotels · London
Park Plaza County Hall London
Park Plaza County Hall London — a hotel in england london.
📷 7Hotels · London
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge
Park Plaza Westminster Bridge — a hotel in england london.
📷 5
📷 5Hostels · London
Xenia (Chapter 1, Christian Alliance)
Xenia (Chapter 1, Christian Alliance) — a hostel in england london.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5
📷 7Historic pubs · London
The Tattershall Castle
The Tattershall Castle — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 5Restaurants · London
Boulebar South Bank
Boulebar South Bank — a restaurant in england london. Cuisine: burger;chicken;mexican;american;ice cream. 5-star. Brand: Boulebar.
📷 7Historic pubs · London
The Coal Hole
The Coal Hole in England London, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · London
Nell Gwynne Tavern
Nell Gwynne Tavern in England London, United Kingdom.
📷 5Other works by Philip Powell
📷 5Open-air theatres · South East England
Chichester Festival Theatre
Chichester Festival Theatre — a open-air theatre in england south east.
More places in this region
📷 5Public art & sculpture · London
33
33 — Public artwork (architecture) by Studio Weave.
📷 5Public art & sculpture · London
A Conversation with Oscar Wilde
A Conversation with Oscar Wilde — Public artwork (sculpture).
📷 5Public art & sculpture · London
A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft
A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft — Public artwork (sculpture) by Maggi Hambling.
📷 5Public art & sculpture · London
A Slice of Reality
A Slice of Reality — Public artwork (installation) by Richard Wilson.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Skylon?
- Skylon is in London, United Kingdom (postcode SE1 8XU), in the parish of Lambeth, unparished area.
- What is Skylon?
- Skylon in England London, United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Skylon?
- The nearest railway station is Waterloo, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can use postcode SE1 8XU.
- When was Skylon built?
- Built or established in 1951. Designed by Philip Powell.
- Is Skylon free to visit?
- Yes, Skylon is free to enter.
- How do I get to Skylon?
- The nearest railway station is Waterloo, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode SE1 8XU.