On Sunday 4th September an enormous structure representing the 17th century London skyline was set alight as it floated on the river Thames. London 1666 commemorates the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London and was designed by artist David Best, in collaboration with Artichoke. Part of the London’s Burning Festival.
The Great Fire of London – what impact did it have on the city?
2016 marks the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, which burned through the city for four days in September 1666. Professor Laura Gowing and Professor Arthur Burns, Department of History, examine the impact of the fire on the city’s geography, housing and opportunities and consider how it affected the future of St Paul’s Cathedral.
(Courtesy of Visit London)
Watch: Terry Deary myth’s of the Great Fire of London
Watch Terry Deary as he talks through some of the myths of the Great Fire of London which celebrates it’s 350th anniversary this year was fact and what was fiction.
The recreation of the Great Fire of London set the Thames ablaze on 4th September in a spectacular culmination of a series of events to commemorate 350 years since the blaze that ripped through the City of London, destroying homes, businesses and iconic structures such as St Pauls. The installation, London 1666, was part of London’s Burning, a festival of arts and ideas produced by Artichoke.
London 1666 saw an extraordinary 120 metre long sculpture of Restoration London floated on the River Thames and set alight in a dramatic retelling of the story of the Great Fire. The vast representation of the 17th century London skyline has been designed by American artist David Best, working in collaboration with Artichoke, the creative events company that have previously staged large-scale arts events such as Lumiere London.
