‘Palace on Pillars’ inspired by Roman gate

Studio Weave’s Paleys upon Pilers was unveiled today to mark the start of High Street 2012.

The project, inspired by a gate that stood at Aldgate from the Roman period until 1761, was commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects.

Studio Weave said: “Paleys upon Pilers is an abstraction of the uppermost room of the old gate and an invocation of Chaucer’s luxurious dreamed temples. The structure consists of a kind of timber embroidery and will sit in the air above the busy Aldgate High Street, supported on pillars decorated with images from Chaucer’s illuminated manuscripts.”

Peter Murray, founder director of the London Festival of Architecture and court assistant to the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects, added: “This is a delightfully evocative design that brings a contemporary clarity to the eastern fringe of the Square Mile.

“The old Aldgate was designed to keep people out; Studio Weave’s design welcomes visitors from around the world who will be visiting London this summer.”