Sunday Special-The Floating Market of Covent Garden London!

London’s Covent GardenIt once  being a quiet and large stretch of greenery for the Convent or Abbey of Saint Paul at Westminster. In the thirteenth century, the plot of land between Saint Martin’s Lane, Drury Lane, Floral Street, and Maiden Lane was a 40-acre kitchen

garden for the Convent, where the monks would grow their own fruits and vegetables.

The supposed area of the convent’s garden is here outlined in red.

It was only in 1540 that most of the convent’s garden land was given to the 1st Earl of Bedford, John Russell, by King Henry VIII after he dissolved all the country’s monastic properties – it remained in the family until 1918.

Aerial view of Covent Garden Piazza by Inigo Jones. 

In 1630, the Earl commissioned Inigo Jones created  Covent Garden’s large piazza The focal point of Jones’ piazza development was Saint Paul’s Church, completed and consecrated in 1638, in front of which was held the fruit and vegetable market – a continuation of Covent Garden’s long standing relationship with fruits and vegetables.Covent Garden market quickly became one of the most important fruit, vegetable, and flower markets in the country, with produce arriving by boat from the river Thames.

‘General View of Covent Garden Looking North’, Interestingly, as today entertainers line the streets of Covent Garden,the 1600’s. Punch & Judy shows first began showing in the area in 1642 and they continued to be staged there through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

‘A Bird Eye View of Covent Garden Market’, c. 1811. 

The floating market of Covent Garden:

Find out how artist created this stunning optical illusion which makes building appear to have broken free from its foundations

Artist Alex Chinneck created illusion using heavy counterweight strong enough to support the top

This is the stunning optical illusion that appears to make a building at one of London's busiest tourist districts hover in mid-air.

 
To passers-by, it looks as though a section of the historic market building in Covent Garden has broken free from its foundations and is floating unaided, high above them.

But in reality, the display, which imitates the architecture in the area, is a complicated piece of technical wizardry which took months to create.

The installation, named Take my Lightning but Don't steal my Thunder, was created by the artist Alex Chinneck (pictured), who is well known for creating optical illusions

Mind-bending: A passing couple peer inside the building which appears to be torn apart with one half suspended in mid-air with no support 

Technical wizardry: The stunning artwork replicates Covent Garden's historic Market Building perfectly but makes it appear if it has broken free of its foundations

Mind-bending: A passing couple peer inside the building which appears to be torn apart with one half suspended in mid-air with no support 

Technical wizardry: The stunning artwork replicates Covent Garden's historic Market Building perfectly but makes it appear if it has broken free of its foundations

Imitation: Construction workers in harnesses can be seen balancing precariously inside the perfect replica of Covent Garden's Market Building as it is lowered by cranes 

The installation is lowered into Covent Garden by a large crane and right, artist Alex Chinneck wears a hard hat and hi-vis vest as he oversees work on the project

Awe: A woman stops to take a picture of the optical illusion as others walk through the artwork in between pillars which appear to have broken apart 

Illusion: A woman looks up at the top section of the building in London's Covent Garden as it appears to hover unaided above its foundations, its walls seemingly ripped apart through the middle

A man walks under the top section of the building as it appears to hover unaided in mid-air while a woman examines the optical illusion from further away

To passers-by it seems as though the building has been torn off and is levitating with a large gap between the broken 'stone' walls, pillars and doors

The installation, named Take my Lightning but Don't steal my Thunder, was created by the artist Alex Chinneck, who is well known for creating optical illusions.

It seems as though the 184-year-old market building has been torn off and is levitating with a large gap between the broken 'stone' walls, pillars and doors.

Floating and Levitating man -Street performer -Covet Garden

Searched, Illustrated and Presentation by Tejinder Kamboj