Standing at 18ft tall, A Place Beyond makes for a striking introduction to V&A East, the museum’s new Stratford outpost. The bronze sculpture, designed by Thomas J Price, is the London artist’s largest work.
V&A East is part of East Bank, a new cultural quarter for London planned as part of the legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games. First conceived in 2016, the museum opened its doors in spring 2026. Standing outside its main entrance, A Place Beyond depicts its subject in casual dress, challenging traditional ideas around sculpture and signalling that the museum is a space for everyone.
Employing a light touch approach intended to let the work speak for itself, Price & Myers worked with the engineers of the surrounding reinforced concrete plaza to ensure that the sculpture could stand directly on the ground, with only a few resin anchors and no plinth or additional steel and concrete.
A light touch approach
The sculpture itself was thickened in certain areas to ensure that it could transfer force from the wind into the slab despite its imposing size. Its feet were adapted before fabrication to allow for this bespoke connection, integrating the fixings into the sculpture as a single piece.
This approach removed the need for wet works and streamlined the installation, reducing time on site and allowing for the relocation of the work in the future if required. Our solution reduced the project’s costs and embodied carbon, while staying true to the artist’s vision.
