A Room for London

A Room for London is an art installation sitting on top of Queen Elizabeth Hall at London's South Bank Centre. The wooden structure is shaped like a boat and gives visitors views across the rooftop landscape toward landmarks like Big Ben and St Paul's Cathedral.

The work was created in 2012 as the winning entry in a competition that drew around 500 design proposals. It opened during London's Olympic year as a joint effort between the organizations Living Architecture and Artangel.

The structure draws inspiration from Joseph Conrad's journey through Congo in 1890, reflecting themes from his literary work Heart of Darkness.

You can reach the installation by going through Queen Elizabeth Hall, and it is open during the venue's regular hours. Space inside is limited to a small number of people at a time, so visits work best as shorter stops.

The work was initially designed as a temporary project meant to exist for just a short period. The installation proved so popular that it became a permanent fixture on the rooftop rather than disappearing as first planned.

Location: London Borough of Lambeth

Inception: 2012

Creator: David Kohn

GPS coordinates: 51.50683,-0.11629

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:26