The Imaginary Institution of India

As main contractor for this ambitious Barbican Art Gallery exhibition; The Imaginary Institution of India,  we collaborated with Apparata Studio to create a structurally sound, environmentally conscious installation. Raw red bricks, inspired by India’s traditional jali patterns, form the core of the design, offering both cultural significance and a unique aesthetic. Working with Apparata and a structural engineer, we developed a specialised bracket system that securely fits each brick without mortar, allowing the installation to be easily dismantled and reused. All bricks, along with sapele wood used in the build, will be donated to the Building Crafts College and House for Artists in London, promoting skills development and reducing waste.

This installation required us to meet the Barbican’s specific structural demands, which include a 500kg per square metre load limit. To address these weight constraints, we collaborated closely with a structural engineer to design a ballast solution that balanced stability with floor load limitations, ensuring both safety and accessibility without compromising on the visual impact of the exhibition.

Alongside the technical and material challenges, the installation was shaped by the curatorial ambition to create a space that resonates with the themes of memory, resistance and cultural identity explored in the exhibition. The raw, unfinished textures of the brick and timber sit in contrast to the Barbican’s concrete interiors, echoing both traditional Indian building methods and the exhibition’s postcolonial narratives. The resulting structures help in the storytelling, designed to be disassembled, reused, and reintegrated into the local community, extending its impact beyond the exhibition.