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We are excited to announce the newest public sculpture by Oskar Zięta, Whispers, which will be part of the London Festival of Architecture 2025 programme, taking place across the city. The sculpture’s performative “inflation” and unveiling will take place on 29 May, forming part of a line-up of over 450 events, including 55 exhibitions, more than 80 workshops, and 20 installations — all brought together under the theme Voices.
London Festival of Architecture 2025
London Festival of Architecture 2025
Thursday 29 May to Sunday 28 Sep. 2025
Live Launch Event on 29th May,
at 11:00, Fleet Street Quarter
12:00 - 13:00 “A Quiet Place in a Noisy City”
12:00 - 13:00 “A Quiet Place in a Noisy City”
the talk by Ben Russell, Curator of Mechanical Engineering
at the Science Museum, and Oskar Zięta
Outside of One New Ludgate
60 Ludgate Hill, City of London,
London, EC4M 7AW
London, EC4M 7AW
In the Fleet Street Quarter, Whispers — an innovative sculptural installation by Oskar Zięta — will be on display, highlighting the fusion of art, technology, and public engagement. At Ludgate Hill, Whispers will come to life in a thrilling live event, where members of the public will actively participate in its inflation — or, as we prefer to say at Zięta Studio, its deformation.
“Designing public and private spaces, as well as entire cities, would be meaningless without the voices that shape them. These voices are numerous — often contradictory, and sometimes silent. Let architecture empower people to speak — whether in a firm voice or a whisper,” says Zięta.
The performative deformation will be followed by a talk, “A Quiet Place in a Noisy City”, during which Ben Russell, Curator of Mechanical Engineering at the Science Museum, and Oskar Zięta will discuss the inspiration and science behind Oskar’s work.
The Whispers sculpture directly reflects the Festival’s 2025 theme: Voices. “Whether spoken softly, in hushed tones, or even in whispers — sitting together in a circle, we can break down barriers and connect meaningfully,” says Zięta.
It is a narrative in which material becomes a form of expression — a statement. It represents the evolution of form into function: a multi-layered, multidimensional testament to the potential of metal — the material of the future. Through our exploration of steel’s possibilities, we have learned to shape it by harnessing internal pressure. FiDU objects act as large resonance boxes — hollow within and astonishingly lightweight. They are tangible manifestations of cutting-edge innovation — a breakthrough that had its public manifesto in 2010 at the Victoria & Albert Museum, where we unveiled the world’s first rolled steel profiles.
The concept of the Whispers installation breaks down barriers, inviting everyone to engage with it — whether by resting on the “whisper” in quiet contemplation or exploring the “half-whisper” as if stepping into a hall of mirrors. This installation is a playground for those captivated by reflections and a source of inspiration for photographers. At its core, Whispers is more than an object; it is a manifesto and a story — structurally rooted in our principle of “less is less.”
Fifteen years on from that event, the Whispers installation invites Londoners and visitors alike to gather, reflect, and share space — creating quiet encounters in the heart of a busy city. Crafted using the groundbreaking FiDU technology, a method of deforming steel with compressed air, Whispers becomes a physical expression of connection, conversation, and the unseen dynamics that shape urban lives.
Lady Lucy French, CEO of Fleet Street Quarter BID, commented: “Having hosted flagship installations during the London Festival of Architecture for the last few years, we are delighted to support this important event again. With such a strong cultural and architectural heritage in the area to showcase — and ambitious plans for its future — we are proud to continue to be an LFA Neighbourhood. (...) Whispers proudly exemplifies the ethos of the Festival and celebrates the fantastic creative and cultural heritage of our area and the wider city.”
The Fleet Street Quarter is undergoing rapid transformation, with significant investment and redevelopment reinventing this historic part of the City. Its involvement in the London Festival of Architecture is central to this year’s cultural programming — putting Fleet Street back on the map as a thriving, dynamic centre of economic and cultural growth.
Whispers is more than an object. It is a gesture — of presence, of attention, of quiet participation. It is brought to life through a creative partnership between nations and institutions: co-produced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, the Polish Cultural Institute in London, Let’s Art Foundation, and On & On Designs, as part of the UK/Poland Season 2025, in collaboration with the British Council.
We invite you to gather with us. To watch the still become vibrant. To step into the circle. And to listen — if only for a moment — to the whispers that shape the spaces we share. Join us in celebrating this unique artistic partnership, where innovation, culture, and community come together in the heart of London. Join the Live Launch Event on 29 May, at 11:00, Fleet Street Quarter.
Echos of Whispers →
Photos: Alka Murat
Echos of Whispers →
Photos: Alka Murat
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