Bronze Drain Covers for Thames Tideway

Pentagram, led by Marina Willer, created a set of bronze plaques for Thames Tideway that function as drain covers and mark thirteen new riverside public spaces in London. Each cover uses two overlapping discs with linear patterns that create a liquid-like moiré effect, referencing the River Thames and London’s cultural mix. The project uses Doves Type, a typeface with a documented history connected to the Thames. The plaques were individually hand-cast in sand, polished, and finished by Arch Bronze; a separate design for Abbey Mills Pumping Station responds to its ornate Victorian interior.