A monumental artwork by Turner Prize-nominated artist, Mark Titchner, has been unveiled on the side of a new net zero office development next to Tower Bridge in London, carrying a celebratory message of hope for a better world.

‘Dream the World Anew’ is the final and most ambitious work in a series of public artworks by Titchner, commissioned by Team London Bridge and displayed on billboards, poster sites, digital displays, and the windows of retail units around the area.

The series started in 2020 as people around the world grappled with how we would reinhabit our public spaces post pandemic. Employing the artist’s instantly recognisable use of text, other works in the series have featured messages such as ‘Hope Reveals the World’ and ‘The Sun Rises Bright’ against vibrant, highly coloured backgrounds.

Titchner’s latest bold artwork once more asks the viewer to imagine a world beyond the difficulties faced by so many at this time, as we deal with the legacy of the pandemic as well as new economic and geopolitical problems.

At ten metres tall, it is displayed on the side of TBC.London, an office building next to Tower Bridge that is currently being transformed by developers FORE Partnership through a deep retrofit into one of the UK’s most sustainable and healthy workspaces. TBC.London will be 100% electric and net zero carbon in operation, with no fossil fuels used in running the property.

FORE is committed to using real estate as a tool to drive positive social and environmental impact in our urban systems. The firm was among the first property companies to become a B Corporation, the global marker of businesses that balance profit with purpose. The firm has made an ambitious commitment to achieve zero carbon by 2025 – five years ahead of the wider industry target set by the World Green Building Council and well in advance of the UK’s 2050 goal.

Mark Titchner, artist, said: “The original concept for this series of artworks was based on the idea of offering a nurturing, reassuring presence as we ease back into our un/familiar streets. However, as I developed the texts for the works, I also felt a sense that this moment – despite all the difficulty – presents an immense opportunity; the opportunity to build a better version of what we had before. As such the aesthetic style of the works shifted away from something soothing towards something bold and celebratory.”

Basil Demeroutis, Managing Partner of FORE, said: “We believe that real estate can and must be a force for good. That’s why we are retrofitting TBC.London into one of London’s first zero carbon workplaces; a building that actively enhances and improves its environment and enriches its community. Mark Titchner’s uplifting message ‘dream the world anew’ aligns perfectly with our ambitions and it is a joy to partner with Team London Bridge to bring it to the neighbourhood.”

A key part of the strategy for TBC.London is to create space where community groups can come together with tenants to build stronger relationships within the local area and create systemic change to deep-seated social issues. The ground floor will incorporate a flexible, 3,000 sq ft multi-use space that will be available for community uses.

Construction started on the project in September 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2024. FORE is working with the contractor, Willmott Dixon, to run a ‘Building Lives’ skills academy at TBC.London, providing those in need with training that will lead to qualifications and jobs within the construction industry. This contributes to FORE’s target of creating up to £9m in social and local economic value through local employment and procurement strategies during the two-year construction programme.

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