Function meets form in Conrad Shawcross's Optic Cloak

Today sees the launch of Conrad Shawcross's latest work - and perhaps his most ambitious to date. Drawing on the British artist's scientific approach, the new architectural project for Greenwich Peninsula blends the practical and the creative into a lofty new landmark for south-east London.

The tower – 161ft high and 66ft wide – forms part of the new low-carbon Energy Centre, which will provide a sustainable source of heat to the site, a development of more than 15,000 homes, plus new businesses and creative hubs that will be built over the coming years.

Designed in collaboration with CF Moller Architects, the structure comprises hundreds of triangular panels, arranged in complex geometric patterns. A key technique employed is the moire effect – an optical illusion created here by overlaying perforated panels at different angles, resulting in a dynamic exterior that appears to be continuously changing.

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"I wanted to create a response that celebrates the commission's function as part of the Energy Centre's flue, rather than trying to hide it," says Shawcross. "I started to research the history of camouflage as I was intrigued by its seemingly paradoxical nature – often it makes the object or animal it's disguising more visually arresting.

"I was particularly interested in a type of maritime camouflage called dazzle camo, which was used on ships during World War I, as well as in Cubism and Op Art. The idea is to break up the surface of the object, creating false perspectives and vanishing points. I thought it was important to give the commission a dynamic quality. For those passing, it will evolve radically as you pan by and under it."

The Optic Cloak is just one artistic endeavour commissioned by the area's developers, Knight Dragon, that could breathe life into this once-neglected corner of the capital.

greenwichpeninsula.co.uk