Giant can sculptures on display in London

Canary Wharf is hosting London’s first ever Canstruction competition.

The event will see world-leading architects and designers create giant sculptures from 40,000 cans of food throughout the business and shopping district, wowing the public and helping to feed people in need.

Internationally acclaimed firms will be working against the clock and each other in an international design competition to create colossal ‘can’ sculptures. Participants will include AKT II, Allies and Morrison, Arup, Aedas, Adamson Associates, Gensler, John McAslan & Partners, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, HOK, PLP Architecture, Thornton Thomasetti and WSP Group.

The competition’s build day took place yesterday (24 June) and the main exhibition will run from 25 June to 7 July.

Following the exhibition, all cans will be collected and redistributed by the award-winning UK food charity FareShare to communities throughout the capital, including East London. This will provide 6,000 senior citizens, children, homeless and vulnerable people with up to 16 tonnes of canned food, equivalent to 38,000 nutritious meals. This can only be achieved with cans provided by, and support from, AF Blakemore and Waitrose Canary Wharf.

2012 is Canstruction’s 20th anniversary, having been hugely successful in more than 170 cities throughout the world. It has grown to become one of the largest drives for food bank donations, and it is celebrating with an inaugural event in London coinciding with the 2012 London Festival of Architecture.

The sculptures will adorn both the lobby of One Canada Square, Britain’s tallest skyscraper, and Canary Wharf’s shopping malls, which have over 240 shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.

On Wednesday (27 June) an expert panel of judges will attend Canstruction at Canary Wharf and select the overall champion, among other categories. The winners will compete in the final International Canstruction Competition 2013 in the US.

Sian Astrop, arts and events manager at Canary Wharf Group, said: “Canstruction at Canary Wharf will showcase innovative design and competitive spirit, while helping people in need. The competition is a first for the Capital and is an outstanding example of the world-class events and public art exhibitions taking place at Canary Wharf in 2012.”