Eve Hoffmann

In a stressful city like London, where density is exploding, competition is continuous, and where pollution, traffic and social exchange seem to happen faster than ever, it becomes increasingly important to understand whether and how the city environment and our pace of life affect our physical and mental health.

This project aims to create destinations for the body and the mind for escaping these stress factors of busy city life, speaking to all overwhelmed individual willing to retreat for a peaceful and special moment. 

These escape spaces, all situated in the spires of London’s churches, are creating a silent network at an elevated level, becoming a viewpoint by day and an illuminated beacon in the darker hours. Climbing up to the top of existing churches, goldthreads perform with light and mystery and create a dematerialised architecture through the floors, inviting the explorer to move upwards, from the welcoming entrance to the ultimate personal experience at the top. Guiding the visitors through the different levels and creating new atmospheres, these goldthreads interpret and mimic the existing architecture.

An innovative contemporary secular aspect within a religious environment is created for everyone to relate to, peeking out over the rooftops  most of them as a throwback to the days when no building could be taller than those devoted to God.