"The Flying Brothel"
by Helena Van Lare


The planning proposal for Leicester Sq. is "Sex and The City: The Flying Brothel" created by Helena Van Lare.

The work creates a cable car / giant wheel above the square. The work echoes the London Eye but transgresses it as from the hovering pods the users can see nothing. Unlike the London Eye, the pods in the Flying Brothel are not transparent, and instead of being used for looking at the view, they are designed to accommodate sexual activities. Having said that, the pods are not totally opaque and the visitors on the ground of Leicester Sq. can see the shadows of the lovers and their activities in the pods.

The work reflects the cleansing of the historical sex district of London, Soho, by the conservative Westminster City Council, and its will to transform Leicester Sq. into a "Happy Family Zone" to "to keep any unwelcome elements away" and to limit the square's activities. In a way, the work actually tries to conserve the nature of this part of the city. It exhibits "social sustainability" and at the same time it transforms the murky grounds of the sex industry into a more transparent and accountable one.

Creating complex relationship between participants in sex, the sex workers, and the general public, the work also discusses voyeurism, the boundaries between private and public domains, and the issue of the tourist industry and the city. To be sure, it will attract more people than the Human Bodyzone at the Dome.