Arbour is a landmark public art commission by internationally acclaimed jewellery designer Shaun Leane, installed across the façade of the residential development at 21 Young Street in Kensington, west London commissioned by Grainger plc and curated by Futurecity.

Designed in collaboration with Assael Architecture, Arbour transforms the building’s 30 x 40 metre façade into a sculptural surface that responds to its surrounding context. Leane drew inspiration from nearby Kensington Square, where mature trees soften the urban grain and filter light through layered foliage.

The artwork comprises 1,850 individually sculpted bronze leaves and three-dimensional branches, fabricated by Cumbrian-based metalworker Chris Brammall. Woven across balconies and elevations, the leaves vary in density as if caught in an autumn breeze, creating movement, texture and shadow across the façade. The work captures both fragility and strength - recurring themes within Leane’s jewellery practice - translated here at architectural scale.

Arbour was Leane’s first public art commission and one of the largest public realm projects in the UK undertaken by a jewellery designer. The artist was selected through a competitive process managed by Futurecity, with proposals reviewed by an Arts Advisory Panel including representatives from Grainger, Assael Architecture, the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, the Victoria and Albert Museum and local residents.

In recognition of the commission’s scale and significance, a section of Arbour has been acquired for the V&A’s permanent Ironwork Collection, marking the project’s cultural impact beyond the site itself.

Photography by Tim Brightmore