In 2010, Living Architecture and Artangel ran a competition to find a ‘A Room for London’ – a unique one-bedroom installation to sit atop Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank. In collaboration with Pierre d’Avoine Architects, Russian For Fish submitted a proposal that offered a whimsically literal spin on the brief.
The Queen’s Head is an elliptical glass-walled bedroom suite topped with a gold disc adorned with the queen’s profile – a giant pound coin dropped onto the roof. The room is edged by gold and mirrored friction-pivoted louvres which can be manually adjusted to control the view – full panorama or specific focal point – and the entire structure is surrounded by a rooftop pool, which can be crossed via a golden walkway or navigated leisurely by boat.