Thought of Train of Thought

Presented at London’s St Pancras International in 2016, sculptor and Royal Academician Ron Arad transformed one of the city’s busiest transport hubs with Thought of Train of Thought. Commissioned through CIG Architecture as part of the Terrace Wires public art program, the installation brought contemporary art to the station’s approximately 48 million annual visitors.

Suspended from the station’s iconic Grade I-listed Barlow Shed roof, the artwork featured an 18-meter-long twisted aluminum blade rotating slowly above the concourse. Both minimal and striking, the sculpture responded to the constant movement of trains and passengers, creating a shifting optical illusion that changed throughout the day. The work offered travelers an unexpected moment of reflection, transforming a place of transit into a space for public art and shared experience.

The sculpture was fully engineered, fabricated, and installed by CIG. The project comprised a complex internal structural framework and a three-dimensional polished aluminum skin, combining advanced engineering, precision fabrication, and specialist installation within the historic St Pancras International station. The mirror-polished aluminum finish enhanced the sculpture’s visual impact, dynamically reflecting changing light conditions and the movement of people below.