Cascade

Cascade is a permanent ceramic diptych by artist Shezad Dawood, installed on the restored façade of The Gaumont - a landmark £235 million redevelopment on London’s King’s Road. Commissioned by Cadogan and curated by Futurecity, the artwork is a key cultural marker in the area’s transformation into a Creative Quarter.

Measuring 609 × 288 cm each, the two vertical panels occupy the original façade panels of the Gaumont Palace Theatre, opened in 1934, which once listed film titles and screen stars. Crafted from 144 hand-glazed tiles, each with sculpted relief patterns, the work draws on a wealth of cultural reference points - from gothic literature and early cinema to fashion and local craftsmanship.

Inspired by James Abbott McNeill Whistler’s Nocturne in Black and Gold, the moon imagery of Cascade reflects Dawood’s fascination with storytelling, the passage of time, and ‘day-for-night’ cinematic techniques. Gothic icons like Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, local legends such as Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood, and early film pioneers including Méliès and William Friese-Greene all inform Dawood’s layered visual language.

During daylight, the ceramic reliefs cast animated shadows across the building’s façade, echoing a sundial’s slow dance. By night, the artwork is dramatically lit, engaging with its surroundings like a moving image frozen in clay.

Futurecity curated the commission through a cultural panel comprising representatives from the V&A, Royal Society of Sculptors, and Chelsea Arts Club. As part of a broader Public Art Strategy for Cadogan (initiated in 2021), the project positions Cascade as both a tribute to Chelsea’s cultural past and a beacon for its creative future.

Year

2025

Client

Cadogan

Artists

Shezad Dawood

Partners

Darwen Terracotta

Location

London

Service

Public Art Curation & Commissioning

Sector

Commercial & RetailCulture & Education

Type

SculptureFaçade