For the first time in history, a highly anticipated secret design has replaced the traditional 180-metre carpet, which runs the full length of the arcade. Keeping the international spotlight firmly on London’s famous shopping experience, Burlington Arcade commissioned LINLEY and Brintons to create a bespoke carpet, which will also act as a showcase for British creativity, wit, design and manufacturing.
The new carpet features 92 iconic buildings from around the world, from bridges to cultural venues and centres of industry and business. The design includes the Eiffel Tower in Paris, St Pauls Cathedral in London, Italy’s Duomo di Milano, Reichstag in Berlin, Seattle’s Space Needle, New York’s Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Guggenheim Museum, the Christ Redeemer in Rio, the Sydney Opera House, Moscow’s Dormition Cathedral, The Aspire Tower in Doha, India’s Taj Mahal, China’s Pearl TV Tower and Forbidden City, and The Sail in Singapore.
The design was inspired by a Limited Edition London Box created by LINLEY to commemorate the attention that London received in 2012. The main design feature of the box is the London skyline, depicted on the top of the box using marquetry inlay in a variety of veneers, which became the starting point for the design of the carpet.
Contemporary in character, the design is rooted to traditional LINLEY marquetry and furniture and exemplifies architecture and heritage. The carpet also features a few design surprises, such as Mary Poppins flying over the London skyline, Quasimodo appearing in Paris, and King Kong on New York’s Empire State Building.
The new carpet was unveiled on 17 June 2013.
