Cadogan celebrates The Gaumont with new public art unveiling

A major new site-specific artwork by British artist Shezad Dawood has been unveiled on the façade of The Gaumont, a new commercial and cultural anchor for the King’s Road.

The Gaumont is a landmark £235 million development by Cadogan, located at the heart of London’s iconic King’s Road. The 220,000 sq. ft project comprises flagship fashion retail, an arthouse cinema, ‘creative cluster’ for independents, office space, residential apartments, hospitality venues including a rooftop bar with panoramic views, pub theatre – and Dawood’s art installation Cascade, an expansive ceramic diptych permanently installed on the building’s façade. Featuring two vertical panels, each measuring 6x3m and made of 144 hand glazed tiles, it occupies the historic panelling which originally listed the films on show and the screen stars associated with them.

The artwork depicts a full moon passing through the night sky, paying homage to the heritage and memory of the site’s origins as the Gaumont Palace Theatre, which distributed early cinematic pioneer Georges Melies classic A Trip to the Moon. Other local influences include James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s painting Nocturne in Black and Gold (which depicts falling fireworks above the River Thames in Chelsea) and gothic horror novelists Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, both of whom lived locally, the role of the moon in their masterpieces Dracula and Frankenstein, and the impact their haunting imagery had on early cinema.

Equally important as inspirations to Dawood’s work were characters as varied as Charles II, whom the King’s Road is named after, and iconic British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and her boutique Sex, which was located on the King’s Road – and whose ubiquitous logo playfully appropriated Charles’ sceptre and orb. The geometric elements of Mary Quant’s designs and the bold and unique colour palette of the Chelsea Pottery, round off Dawood’s influences for Cascade. The relief elements act as a quasi-sundial as the sun moves overhead and the shadows dance, creating a kinetic movement to the piece during sunlight. The work is then lit to dramatic effect by night.

Shezad Dawood was selected and commissioned to create the artwork by a cultural panel brought together by Cadogan and the cultural placemaking agency FutureCity, including members of the Chelsea Arts Club, the V&A and the Royal Society of Sculptors.

Hugh Seaborn, CEO of Cadogan, said: “When we envisioned The Gaumont, we knew it had to be more than a redevelopment – it had to feel rooted in the cultural legacy of the King’s Road and speak to the people who live, work and walk along this road every day. The unveiling of ’Cascade’ lights up the restored historic façade of The Gaumont and eloquently celebrates so much of the King’s Road’s rich heritage and the many icons associated with it.

Shezad Dawood was the perfect artist to express that. His work isn’t just beautiful – it’s a creative anchor. It reminds us that development isn’t only about new space, but about identity. His work captures the emotional texture of the area: the cinema, the characters, the creative spirit that’s always defined Chelsea. It is part of a wider revitalisation plan for one of the world’s most famous high streets.”

Shezad Dawood said: “I feel deeply connected to the area on various levels, from first seeing the Seven Samurai with my dad at the then Chelsea Cinema as a kid, to one of my first jobs at a bookstore on the King’s Road – then of course there is the broader cultural importance of the area, as a home to various artists, writers and filmmakers, that have all informed my research. As an artist who works across painting, ceramics and film I am so excited to unveil an artwork that draws on all of these disciplines for the façade of such an iconic building that was also a key part of my early cinematic education.”

Mark Davy, Founder of Futurecity who curated the advisory panel adds, “We are delighted to be part of this ground-breaking art and architecture commission and to have been given the opportunity by Cadogan to curate an artist of Shezad Dawood’s prominence to produce Cadogan’s first permanent artwork on the iconic King’s Road. The integration of this artwork into The Gaumont building will serve as a creative marker, delivered through close collaboration with the designers and developers of this fabulous building.”

The Gaumont is one of the most significant new developments on the King’s Road since Cadogan’s Duke of York Square, which transformed a former Ministry of Defence site into a dynamic retail and cultural hub anchored by the Saatchi Gallery in 2008. The estate’s wider placemaking strategy also includes the recent transformation of Sloane Street, reinforcing its position as a leading luxury retail destination alongside turning it into a ‘green boulevard’, improving biodiversity and climate resilience.

Find out more at thegaumont.co.uk