Designer Paul Cocksedge has created a weathered steel sculpture in Trafalgar Square for London Design Festival that incorporates AI-generated films showing how the city has evolved over the centuries.

What Nelson Sees is one of the landmark projects installed around the city as part of the London Design Festival (LDF) programme aimed at celebrating and promoting the importance of the design industry.

The project came about after Cocksedge, a lifelong Londoner, spoke with LDF co-founder Ben Evans about his idea of sharing what the famous statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson might observe from atop his column 50 metres above Trafalgar Square.

The installation, created in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture, combines his signature material-led design approach with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to depict past, present and future visions of the capital.

"Trafalgar Square is a place we all know, and Nelson's Column is one of the most photographed monuments in London, yet the perspective is always the same — from the ground looking up," Cocksedge explained.

"My ambition was to reverse that, to allow people to feel as though they were teleported up to see what Nelson sees. It was about shifting perspective, creating wonder and sparking conversation."

The sculpture comprises seven intersecting metal tubes that form a freestanding structure. Several of the tubes create a stable base, with others raised above the ground at different heights functioning as viewing portals.

Cocksedge explained that he wanted the piece to be rooted in making and engineering, which is why he chose to work with engineering firm Arup and metalwork studio Steel and Form on a design that could be made by cutting, shaping and welding industrial metal tubes.

"The idea was to create a structure people could literally look through, like a telescope," he told Dezeen.

"The intersecting tubes are both functional and sculptural, and the way they lean, balance and support each other gives the piece a poise and tension that I really love."

The choice of steel with a patinated surface references Nelson's maritime history and the use of metal in shipbuilding. This raw, industrial exterior contrasts with the technological elements incorporated inside the tubes.

For the storytelling element of What Nelson Sees, the designer turned to artificial intelligence, partnering with Google Arts & Culture and using the company's AI filmmaking tool, Flow, to generate the video montage.

Screens within the tubes display images showing London’s transformation, from horse-drawn carriages to motor vehicles, gas lamps to street lamps, and changing fashions over the centuries.

The technology also presents visions of a speculative future where London adapts to climate change, larger areas become pedestrianised, and local food production is adopted.

To capture footage used in the film, Cocksedge and his brother, Mark, a photographer and filmmaker, were raised up on a 50-metre boom lift to experience the view from the top of Nelson's Column.

The AI software then transformed the footage based on textual prompts, rewinding time to before the statue was erected more than 150 years ago, and fast-forwarding to create the futuristic interpretations of London life.

Cocksedge explained that integrating AI posed an interesting challenge as it represents a radical departure from his everyday practice.

He claimed that he has previously been sceptical of the technology's benefits, but said that in this context it allowed him to create something that would otherwise have been impossible.

"As someone who is dyslexic and very physical in my way of working, the experience of prompting was both challenging and profound," he pointed out, "but the contrast between the handmade, collaborative sculptural process and this entirely new digital process was exactly what I wanted to explore."

"At a time of debate and discussion about AI and the creative industries, I hope that the more we experiment, discuss and reflect, the more we can integrate AI on our own terms," he continued.

What Nelson Sees joins Lee Broom's chandelier-like Beacon installation on the South Bank as one of LDF's landmark projects, which serve as high-profile public artworks aimed at showcasing innovation while addressing important societal themes.

Cocksedge told Dezeen he was excited by the opportunity to realise this self-initiated project, which he has been thinking about for almost 20 years. He added that his main aim was to create an accessible and inspiring artwork that will resonate with different generations.

"My work has always been about human interaction and conversation, and I hope this piece creates experiences that prompt debate and spark encounters that might not otherwise have happened," he said.

"When the piece is unveiled, I will step back and become an observer. Watching families, tourists and Londoners experience it in their own way is always the most meaningful and rewarding part."

Paul Cocksedge Studio was founded by Cocksedge and Joana Pinho in 2004. With a focus on exploring the possibilities of technologies, materials and making processes, the studio's work often seeks to engage directly with people and context.

Cocksedge has previously worked on installations including a sculpture made from coal that was suspended inside Liverpool Cathedral, and a wave-like communal bench that formed part of the 2019 London Design Festival.

What Nelson Sees will be in place throughout the London Design Festival from 13-18 September. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.