Just around the corner from Marble Arch can be found a giant perforated steel flower. It’s called Circadian and is by the Hertfordshire-based artist, Lee Simmons.
The 11-metre tall artwork is made entirely of soft-matte finished steel, and we’re told is “inspired by the circadian rhythm, the natural cycle which acts as a biological timekeeper for living organisms”.
It was commissioned by Almacantar, the property developer of the two buildings on either side of the artwork, and stands at the Marble Arch end of a new passageway that’s been created for the area.
The art was unveiled in September 2021.
It is however very different from what was originally planned, which was for five tall stems with illuminated leaves. I’d suggest the current installation is better than the one that didn’t get created, as it’s more obviously a punctuation point in the pavement for the area, and also a lot easier to appreciate close up.
The fabrication work was carried out by Littlehampton Welding.
Simmons is also the artist responsible for the rather dramatic band of steel to be found in nearby Marylebone.
