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For the London Design Festival, the Bank of England Museum has teamed up with Plasticiet and Surface Matter to present a sculptural installation exploring how design can redefine value. Supported by the Cheapside Alliance, the project repurposes £2.5 million in reclaimed and recycled British banknotes into custom furniture pieces, set within the historic Stock Office of the Bank of England Museum an intersection of tradition and contemporary creativity.
What happens when money loses its monetary worth? This installation traces the journey of banknotes once withdrawn from circulation, shredded, and reimagined into architectural and symbolic forms. It underscores how design can transform financial objects into meaningful material expressions.
Taking cues from the Bank’s neoclassical and baroque architecture, the curving pieces feel both monumental and playful. They celebrate the texture and character of the reconstructed material while creating a conversation between historical context and modern design. The furniture has evolved into a modular system, adaptable to different spaces. When arranged collectively, the layout subtly evokes the shape of the pound symbol from above, turning the installation into both functional objects and a spatial artwork. In this way, it reflects transformation shifting value from currency into crafted material.
