Skylon, Steel sculpture in South Bank, London, United Kingdom
Skylon was a vertical steel structure clad in aluminum on the South Bank in London, rising 90 meters into the air. The slender form hung suspended on cables between three angled steel beams and tapered to sharp points at both ends.
The construction went up in 1951 for the Festival of Britain, designed by architects Hidalgo Moya and Philip Powell along with engineer Felix Samuely. Winston Churchill ordered its removal in 1952, viewing the structure as a symbol of the previous Labour government.
The steel column embodied British optimism and technical ambition after World War II, drawing crowds to the Thames waterfront. Its name came from combining syllables of sky, pylon and nylon in a wordplay that felt modern at the time.
The base floated 15 meters above ground between Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge, allowing visitors to walk beneath it. The structure stood only temporarily and was dismantled shortly after the festival ended.
The slender form appeared to float in midair with no visible connection to the ground, puzzling and intriguing observers. After dismantling, all the aluminum vanished without trace, and no one knows to this day where it was taken.
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