Llanelli Glass Canopy
Freestanding artwork as part of Arts & Regeneration Programme

As part of Llanelli Town Centre’s multi-million pound regeneration programme, Studio Response curated and managed a programme of public artworks for Carmarthenshire County Council in partnership with Jacobs and Alun Griffiths Contractors aimed at creating a contemporary response to the heritage of Llanelli in addition to creating a unique public realm for the local community, visitors and traders. Artist Laura Thomas, an established Wales based woven textile artist, was commission to design a glass canopy for a new seating area at the busy pedestrian junction of two main shopping streets and the St Elli shopping centre.

Drawing inspiration from the industrial heritage of Llanelli, specifically how the town was once the world’s largest producer of tinplate, Thomas moved beyond her usual materials of dyed silks, cottons and linens to work with laminating the industrial materials of carbon, copper and steel. The panes of glass create a patchwork design, referencing Thomas’ research into local quilting groups and the role of women in the tinplate industry. The resulting canopy offers a distinct visual anchor to the site, the shadows of the design projected onto the seating area below.