British Art Installation “Please Be Seated” in Chinese Mainland

Crossover collaboration with Paul Cocksedge Studio will present the studio’s first-ever touring public art installation across the Chinese mainland

Swire Properties kicked off the highly anticipated tour of “Please Be Seated” in the Chinese mainland in collaboration with British design firm Paul Cocksedge Studio. From now till 1 November 2020, the large-scale installation will be open to the public at the Temple Plaza of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu, engaging the community through an interactive art experience.

The debut of this significant art piece across its retail projects in the Chinese mainland resonates with Swire Properties’ commitment to offering world-class art and cultural experiences for local communities to enjoy. This is the first international showcase of the giant public art piece since its critically acclaimed debut at the London Design Festival in 2019. Following the Chengdu stop, “Please Be Seated” will travel across the country to Taikoo Hui in Guangzhou, Taikoo Li Qiantan in Shanghai, and Taikoo Li Sanlitun in Beijing, where it will become a permanent installation in the capital city.

"Please Be Seated" was designed by Paul Cocksedge Studio to respond to urban life's dynamic nature, reinvigorating how local audiences interact with space and the community. The 15.2 meter-long installation features' waves' of wood rising up to form arches for people to walk through and curves under to create space for people to sit, lie and relax. Echoing Swire Properties' intense focus on sustainable development, the piece is fabricated from 1,440 planks of sustainably sourced timber.

Please Be Seated is designed by acclaimed British designer Paul Cocksedge. ©MarkCocksedge

“We’re delighted to partner with Paul Cocksedge Studio to bring this ambitious art piece to four of our retail centers in the Chinese mainland,” said Tim Blackburn, Chief Executive Officer, Chinese mainland, Swire Properties. “This installation, which merges innovation, sustainability, and art, is a wonderful showcase of our commitment to creative placemaking in our communities. With this piece, we invite the public to explore and engage with the artwork on their own terms, interacting with it so that they become an integral part of the piece themselves. We feel this sends a powerful message of the personal relationships we form with art and speaks to our vision of curating exceptional art and cultural experiences within our developments.”

“Please Be Seated” was an instinctive response to public space and the rhythm of people moving through it. We are excited to work with Swire Properties again to create a piece of work that engages with the public and puts them at the center of the design,” said Cocksedge. Paul Cocksedge Studio has a longstanding creative partnership with Swire Properties and has created ambitious pieces of work, including “Gust of Wind” at HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai and “Spectrum” the Swire Properties VIP lounge at Art Basel Hong Kong 2019.

About Paul Cocksedge Studio

Paul Cocksedge is an internationally acclaimed British designer, who has spent the last decade building a reputation for innovative design, underpinned by research into the limits of technology and materials. His catalog of work spans design products, architectural projects, installations, and sculptures, all infused with the sense of simplicity, joy, and wonder that has come to characterize his work. In 2018, Cocksedge designed a light installation for COS’s Coal Drops Yard retail space, and in 2019 created a VIP Lounge for Swire Properties at Art Basel Hong Kong. Current projects include the studio’s first bridge, and first project in South Africa, as well as Slump, an exhibition with Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Cocksedge's Here Comes The Sun – a socially distanced picnic blanket - is also featured in V&A Dundee's Now Accepting Contactless show.

Visit the studio's website at www.paulcocksedgestudio.com

About Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu

Located in the city center of Chengdu, Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu is a mixed-use development jointly developed by Swire Properties and Sino-Ocean Group. Opened in 2015, the development comprises an open-plan, low-rise and lane-driven shopping mall, and The Temple House - an understated luxury urban hotel with 100 Rooms and 42 Residences.

About Swire Properties

Swire Properties develops and manages commercial, retail, hotel, and residential properties, with a particular focus on mixed-use developments in prime locations at major mass transportation intersections. Swire Properties is listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and its investment portfolio in Hong Kong comprises Taikoo Place, Cityplaza, and Pacific Place. In addition to Hong Kong, the Company has investments in the Chinese mainland, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam.