The Sunflower Sculpture at Bankside Yards

The Sunflower Sculpture by Mac Van Dam and Parker Heyl transforms a familiar cultural icon into a striking work of interactive public art. Suspended from Arbor at Bankside Yards, a Native Land development, the kinetic sculpture invites visitors to experience light, movement and reflection in a new way during this year’s London Design Festival. Influenced by the artist's previous work exploring kinetic architecture, light, and immersive stage design, the piece reinterprets the classic disco ball - a global emblem of nightlife, celebration and togetherness - through an architectural lens. The Sunflower Sculpture is dynamic: its mirrored surfaces catch and scatter light while its gentle kinetic motion shifts with the environment, creating ever-changing atmospheres. The work held its debut at Glastonbury Festival earlier this year, where it captured the imagination of thousands. Now, brought into the urban fabric of Invicta Plaza at Bankside Yards, surrounded by historic railway arches and contemporary architecture, the sculpture becomes a bridge between Southwark’s cultural memory and the evolving identity of the city. An hour-long kinetic performance starts at sunset every day of the festival. At these moments, the disco ball springs to life, opening up in a dramatic kinetic performance that reveals hidden facets and unexpected geometry. As its mirrored planes peel back and reconfigure, light explodes across the plaza in dazzling cascades. Each transformation feels like a rebirth in miniature, a moment of theatre suspended above the city, drawing the gaze of passers-by and rewarding those who wait for the show. The sculpture gestures toward cycles of reinvention: nightlife culture emerging into public space, a party icon reborn as an artwork, and London itself continually reshaping how people gather, celebrate and connect. Visitors are encouraged not only to look but also to interact with the work, experiencing its shifts in light and perspective as they move around it. As an official pop-up exhibition of London Design Festival, The Sunflower Sculpture is free to view throughout the festival dates. Its placement at Bankside Yards highlights Native Land’s commitment to showcasing creativity in the public realm at the centre of the South Bank. Native Land is an official partner of London Design Festival 2025.