I love the site of broken glass

Associated media

Everyone knows the broken window theory – that vandalized windows signal an acceptance of social decline.

Not so in Hackney, London where 312 identically smashed windows are causing passers-by to double take. Nicknamed ‘the Banksy of glass’ by local residents, artist Alex Chinneck is replacing broken factory windows with… broken factory windows.

Presented by Alex Chinneck in association with Sumarria Lunn Gallery and located just one mile from the Olympic stadium, this intervention transforms a derelict factory building into a public art project.

Having grown up surrounded by the industrial architecture of London’s East End, Alex Chinneck removes everyday construction materials from their utilitarian context and creates art.

Inspired by the landscape of London’s industrial architectural heritage, he finds raw beauty in these solid, purpose-made buildings.

Smashed windows in former industrial neighbourhoods come as no surprise; but where others see vandalism, Alex Chinneck saw potential; he says:

‘There is something mesmerizing about the way light catches a broken window pane, not only is the glass shattered but so is the reflection’.

Starting with an abandoned factory that had been used to grow cannabis, Chinneck spent a gruelling four months removing the remnants: piles of soil, wires, grow bags, water tanks, plant pots and heat lamps.

Following an intense period of preparation, Chinneck then used industrial processes to precisely replicate one smashed window 312 times, replacing each original factory window.

Rossana Tich, trustee of the Hackney Society and local resident was quick to notice that something strange had happened:

At first, I thought that demolition of the building had begun… But on closer observation, I noted how uniform the holes in the ‘broken’ windows were and in fact, they were quite intricately designed ‘holes’.

All the visible windows in this building have now been replaced with identically broken sheets of glass – the combination of engineering and accident helping to complete the illusion.  

Chinneck says:

This project always evolved with consideration to sculpture, architecture and engineering but ultimately I like the simple idea of performing a magic trick on such a scale.
In total 312 panes from 13 windows have been replaced with 1,248 pieces of glass – four pieces form the perfect break in every pane.

‘This brilliant use of broken glass is a witty way of underlining the building's current state of disrepair.’ (Nichola Schild, local resident)

Fast becoming a ‘Hackney landmark’, the former factory will soon be demolished, the work disappearing with it. Will Lunn, co-director of Sumarria Lunn Gallery, commented:

This is the ultimate realization of the idea that destruction can be creative and we are pleased to be supporting such an innovative project.

About the artist

Alex Chinneck was born in 1984 and is a graduate of the Chelsea College of Art and Design. Most recently he was nominated for the Royal British Society of Sculptors’ Bursary Award.

Using contemporary methods of fabrication, Chinneck finds new and ambitious applications for everyday construction materials, removing them from their functional context to create playful installations.

By making work that is unconcerned with creative disciplines his sculptures and installations co-exist across the realms of art, design and architecture.