# List of public art in Soho

This is a list of public art in Soho, a district in the City of Westminster, London. Soho is an area first developed in the 1670s which, since the construction of theatres along Shaftesbury Avenue in the 19th century, has had a strong association with the entertainment industry.
In the south of the district stands Leicester Square, the public sculpture of which has had an eventful history. From 1748 the square had as its centrepiece an equestrian figure of George I, but this deteriorated and was sold off at the beginning of the following century. In 1874 the square was bought by Albert Grant, a company promoter and MP, who had its gardens made over to a design by James Knowles. This refurbishment saw the installation of the Shakespeare fountain and busts of four historical residents of the locale: Isaac Newton, William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds and John Hunter. Each of these busts was positioned near the site of its subject's former home. The busts were severely damaged by inept restoration work in the 1990s.
A renovation of Leicester Square carried out between 2010 and 2012 was criticised for its removal of all the sculptures on the square except for that of Shakespeare. The 1981 statue of Charlie Chaplin which had been displaced as a result of these works returned to the square in 2016. In 2020, Chaplin's statue was joined by several others also on the theme of cinema, which together comprise the sculptural trail Scenes in the Square.
Map of public art in Soho
| Image | Title / subject | Location and coordinates | Date | Artist / designer | Architect / other | Type | Designation | Notes |
| More images | Statue of Charles II | Soho Square 51°30′55″N 0°07′56″W﻿ / ﻿51.5154°N 0.1323°W﻿ / 51.5154; -0.1323﻿ (Statue of Charles II) | 1681 | Caius Gabriel Cibber | — | Statue | Grade II | Originally formed the crowning element of a fountain at the centre of Soho Square. In 1875, the badly weathered statue was moved to the garden of Grim's Dyke, Harrow Weald, later the home of W. S. Gilbert. It was returned to the square in 1938, according to the wishes of Gilbert's widow. |
| More images | Statue of George II | Golden Square 51°30′42″N 0°08′14″W﻿ / ﻿51.511647°N 0.137212°W﻿ / 51.511647; -0.137212﻿ (Statue of George II) | 1720 | John Nost the Elder | — | Statue | Grade II | A statue of an allegorical figure in Roman costume, made for Cannons, the seat of the Duke of Chandos in Little Stanhope, Middlesex. An anonymous bidder bought the statue at the sale of the house's contents and erected it in Golden Square as "George II" on 14 March 1753. |
| | Four statues in niches | Criterion Theatre and Restaurant, Piccadilly Circus | 1871–1874 c. 1871–1874 | Edward William Wyon | Thomas Verity | Architectural sculpture | Grade II* | |
| | Bust of Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby | St Peter's School, Great Windmill Street | 1871 | Attributed to Hamilton MacCarthy, after Matthew Noble | J. T. Wimperis | Architectural sculpture | — | |
| More images | Statue of William Shakespeare | Leicester Square 51°30′37″N 0°07′48″W﻿ / ﻿51.510376°N 0.1301182°W﻿ / 51.510376; -0.1301182﻿ (Statue of William Shakespeare) | 1874 | Giovanni Fontana after Peter Scheemakers | James Knowles | Fountain with statue | Grade II | Unveiled 3 July 1874. Based on William Kent and Scheemakers's memorial to the Bard in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey. The scroll held by the figure of Shakespeare bears a quotation from Twelfth Night (Act 4, Scene 2): there is/ no darkness/ but/ ignorance |
| | George Maule Allen Memorial Drinking Fountain | St Anne's Churchyard | 1890 | ? | — | Drinking fountain | — | Inscribed erected in memory of/ george maule allen/ of 17 carlisle street soho square/ born 4th october 1855/ died 29th april 1889/ aged 33 years |
| More images | Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury | Piccadilly Circus 51°30′36″N 0°08′04″W﻿ / ﻿51.509904°N 0.134515°W﻿ / 51.509904; -0.134515﻿ (Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain) | 1885–1893 | Alfred Gilbert | Howard Ince (consulted on design) | Fountain with statue | Grade I | Unveiled 29 June 1893. Gilbert criticised contemporary statues for being too literal and inartistic, and chose instead to symbolise Lord Shaftesbury's philanthropy with an allegorical figure. This was intended to represent Anteros or "The Angel of Christian Charity", but it became popularly identified with the Greek god's twin brother Eros. |
| | Muses and putti surrounding a bust of Shakespeare | Wyndham's Theatre, 32–36 Charing Cross Road | 1899 | ? | W. G. R. Sprague | Relief | Grade II* | |
| | M. Gaudin riding a snail | L'Escargot, 48 Greek Street | 1900 c. 1900? | ? | ? | Relief | Grade II | Gaudin was the first restaurateur of L'Escargot. |
| | Angels | Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue | 1900–1901 c. 1900–1901 | T. Simpson | Lewen Sharp | Architectural sculpture | Grade II | |
| More images | Statue of Henry Irving | Irving Street 51°30′35″N 0°07′42″W﻿ / ﻿51.5097°N 0.1282°W﻿ / 51.5097; -0.1282﻿ (Statue of Henry Irving) | 1910 | Thomas Brock | — | Statue | Grade II | Unveiled 5 December 1910. The street between the statue and the National Portrait Gallery, formerly Green Street, was renamed in the actor's honour in 1938. The formal gardens were laid out, with railings bearing the monogram HI, for the Festival of Britain in 1951; these were unveiled by Laurence Olivier. |
| | Euterpe | 13–14 Archer Street | 1912 | Charles Pibworth | Adams & Holden | Relief | — | 13–14 Archer Street was built as clubrooms for the Orchestral Association. |
| | Britannia with the Wealth of East and West | 208–222 Regent Street (formerly Liberty's department store) | 1914 (designed); 1923–1924 (executed) | Charles Doman and Thomas John Clapperton | Edwin Thomas Hall and Edwin Stanley Hall | Frieze | Grade II | At 115 ft long and 7 ft high, this has in the past been claimed to be the largest sculpture in London. |
| | Charles James Fox and Sam House | Byron at the Intrepid Fox, 97–99 Wardour Street | 1915 | ? | W. Bradford & Sons | Faience relief | — | Sam House was the landlord of the pub on this site, which he named The Intrepid Fox to express his admiration for the statesman. The relief shows Fox and House, the latter holding a placard inscribed champion/ of the/ people, standing in front of the 18th-century pub. |
| More images | The Mayflower | Liberty's department store, Great Marlborough Street | 1924 | ? | Edwin Thomas Hall and Edwin Stanley Hall | Weather vane | Grade II* | |
| | Britannia and many other figures | County Fire Office Building, 218–222 Regent Street | 1924–1927 c. 1924–1927 | Joseph Hermon Cawthra | Ernest Newton | Architectural sculpture | Grade II | |
| More images | Liberty Clock | Liberty's department store, Great Marlborough Street 51°30′52″N 0°08′19″W﻿ / ﻿51.5145°N 0.1386°W﻿ / 51.5145; -0.1386﻿ (Liberty Clock) | 1925 | Frank Hope-Jones | Edwin Thomas Hall and Edwin Stanley Hall | Clock | Grade II* | |
| | Bust of William Shakespeare | The Shakespeare's Head pub, 29 Great Marlborough Street, on the corner with Fouberts Place | 1928 | ? | G. G. Macfarlane | Architectural sculpture | — | |
| | Bathing belles | Marshall Street Leisure Centre | 1928–1931 c. 1928–1931 | Herbert Tyson Smith | A. W. S. and K. M. S. Cross | Architectural sculpture | Grade II | |
| | Sight and Sound | Vue West End, Leicester Square | 1938 | Edward Bainbridge Copnall | E. A. Stone and T. R. Somerford | Reliefs | — | |
| | Reliefs | Foyles, Charing Cross Road | 1939 c. 1939 | Adolfine Mary Ryland | E. P. Wheeler and H. F. T. Cooper | Reliefs | — | The building originally housed St Martin's School of Art and the College for Distributive Trades. Ryland's reliefs relate to shop display. The coat of arms of the London County Council and the inscriptions were carved by Percy J. Delf Smith. |
| | Tympanum | French Protestant Church, Soho Square | 1950 | J. Prangnelli | Aston Webb | Relief | Grade II* | Marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of the Strangers' Church in Threadneedle Street. The relief shows the Huguenots departing from France, their arrival at Dover and the granting of the royal charter establishing the church by Edward VI. |
| | Angels and stars | Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and St Gregory, Warwick Street | 1952–1957 | ? | Joseph Bonomi the Elder | Architectural sculpture | Grade II* | |
| | Our Lady of Mercy | Notre Dame de France, Leicester Place | 1953 | Georges Saupique | Hector Corfiato | Architectural sculpture | Grade II* | |
| | The Spirit of Electricity | Orion House (formerly Thorn House), Litchfield Street | 1958–1961 | Geoffrey Clarke | Andrew Renton of Basil Spence and Partners (c. 1958); Renton Howard Wood Levin (1988–1990 renovation) | Architectural sculpture | Grade II | The building was the headquarters of Thorn Electrical Industries; during renovation the sculpture was moved from the east (Upper St Martin's Lane) elevation to the north. |
| More images | Glockenspiel | Swiss Court 51°30′38″N 0°07′52″W﻿ / ﻿51.5105°N 0.1312°W﻿ / 51.5105; -0.1312﻿ (Glockenspiel) | 1968; altered 1985 and again in 2008 | Fritz Fuchs | ? | Glockenspiel | — | A gift to the City of Westminster from Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the clock originally adorned the Swiss Centre on this street. In 2008 the site was redeveloped, and as a condition of planning approval the Glockenspiel was retained and redesigned as a freestanding clock. Re-inaugurated 28 November 2011. |
| More images | Cantonal Tree | Swiss Court 51°30′38″N 0°07′53″W﻿ / ﻿51.510447°N 0.131350°W﻿ / 51.510447; -0.131350﻿ (Cantonal Tree) | 1977 | ? | — | Wooden post with shields of the Swiss cantons attached | — | An antique inn sign, given by Switzerland in May 1977 to mark the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The street was given its current name on 15 April 1991, on the 700th anniversary of the founding of the Swiss Confederation. |
| More images | Statue of Charlie Chaplin | Leicester Square | 1979 | John Doubleday | — | Statue | — | Unveiled 16 April 1981, the 92nd anniversary of Chaplin's birth, by Ralph Richardson. A slightly modified version was erected in Vevey, the Swiss town Chaplin made his home, the following year. The London statue has been moved multiple times within Leicester Square and the vicinity; it was unveiled on its current site on 16 April 2016. |
| More images | Mosaics | Tottenham Court Road station | 1980–1986 | Eduardo Paolozzi | — | Glass mosaics | — | The mosaics on the Central line platforms are replete with references to the neighbourhood above ground, particularly its shops selling books, musical instruments and electronics, whereas those on the two Northern line platforms are abstract in design. The mosaics between the entrance and the platforms were the final part of the scheme to be completed. During construction work for the Elizabeth line in 2017, 5% of the mosaics were removed and the remainder restored. The detached panels were given to the Edinburgh College of Art, in Paolozzi's birthplace. |
| More images | Chinese guardian lions | Gerrard Street 51°30′42″N 0°07′52″W﻿ / ﻿51.511764°N 0.131114°W﻿ / 51.511764; -0.131114﻿ (Chinese lions) | 1985 | ? | — | Sculptures | — | Unveiled 29 October 1985 by the Duke of Gloucester at the formal opening of Chinatown. A gift from the People's Republic of China. |
| | Ode to the West Wind | 17 Noel Street 51°30′53″N 0°08′13″W﻿ / ﻿51.514810°N 0.137001°W﻿ / 51.514810; -0.137001﻿ (Ode to the West Wind) | 1989 | Louise Vines and the London Wall Mural Group | — | Mural | — | Inspired by the eponymous poem of 1819 by Percy Bysshe Shelley, who lived around the corner in 15 Poland Street; the mutilated tree is also a reference to the Great Storm of 1987. Originally proposed in 1986 by the Soho Jazz Festival, which then abandoned the commission; it was subsequently taken up by The Soho Society. |
| More images | The Spirit of Soho | Broadwick Street 51°30′46″N 0°08′18″W﻿ / ﻿51.512730°N 0.138236°W﻿ / 51.512730; -0.138236﻿ (The Spirit of Soho) | 1991 | FreeForm Arts Trust | — | Mural | — | Saint Anne, as patroness of Soho, is portrayed in a dress bearing a map of the district. At her feet are gathered several former residents, including Casanova and Marx. Six smaller scenes depict forms of work and leisure characteristic of the area. Restored in 2006. |
| More images | The Horses of Helios | Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus 51°30′36″N 0°08′00″W﻿ / ﻿51.5100°N 0.1334°W﻿ / 51.5100; -0.1334﻿ (The Horses of Helios) | 1992 | Rudy Weller | Peter Howard of Renton Howard Wood Levine Partnership | Architectural sculpture | — | |
| More images | The Three Graces | Coventry Street | 1992 | Rudy Weller | Peter Howard of Renton Howard Wood Levine Partnership | Architectural sculpture | — | |
| | Imagine John Lennon | Carnaby Street, outside Liberty's department store | 2009 | Lawrence Holofcener | — | Statue | — | Unveiled 9 October 2021, which would have been Lennon's 81st birthday. The first casting of the sculpture was unveiled in Mount Dora, Florida, on the same day in 2010. |
| More images | Lion | 64 Shaftesbury Avenue (corner with Wardour Street) | 2009 | Hsiao-Chi Tsai and Kimiyo Yoshikawa | | Architectural sculpture | — | |
| | Timelines | Wilder Walk 51°30′38″N 0°08′08″W﻿ / ﻿51.510535°N 0.135683°W﻿ / 51.510535; -0.135683﻿ (Timelines) | 2011 | Daniela Schönbächler | Dixon Jones Architects | Light installation | — | |
| | Selene | Nadler Hotel, Carlisle Street | 2013 | Hew Locke | Robert Adam | Architectural sculpture | — | The sculptor wished to create "a classical statue with a contemporary twist" and add to the small number of statues of black women in London. Inspirations for the work include Art Nouveau, fairy paintings by Atkinson Grimshaw and drag queens in Soho. |
| | Vital Signs | Quadrant 3, corner of Brewer Street and Sherwood Street | 2013 | Spencer Finch | Dixon Jones Architects (redevelopment of the Regent Palace Hotel) | Light installation | | |
| More images | Group | Ham Yard | 2014 | Tony Cragg | — | Sculpture | — | Part of the sculptor's Rational Beings series. |
| | 'Diamonds and Circles', works 'in situ' | Tottenham Court Road station | 2015 | Daniel Buren | Hawkins\Brown and Acanthus Architects | Decorative motifs | — | A pattern of alternating circle and diamond shapes, 2.4m in height and diameter. The first phase of the redevelopment of the station, the entrance and ticket hall on Oxford Street, opened in January 2015. |
| | Shaida Walking. 2015 | Broadwick Street | 2015 | Julian Opie | — | LED installation | — | Installed in 2016 as part of the Lumiere light festival. |
| More images | Beauty < Immortality Frank Pick | Piccadilly Circus tube station 51°30′36″N 0°08′05″W﻿ / ﻿51.5099°N 0.1346°W﻿ / 51.5099; -0.1346﻿ (Beauty < Immortality) | 2016 | Langlands & Bell | — | Memorial | — | Unveiled 7 November 2016, the 75th anniversary of Pick's death. A sequence of words found by the artists on a note in Pick's personal papers is inscribed with bronze letters in the Johnston typeface commissioned by him. To the right, Pick's name appears in the London Underground roundel. |
| More images | Blackbird (the persistence of vision) | 48 Leicester Square | 2016 | Kenny Hunter | MAKE Architects | Reliefs | — | |
| | Praise the Rain | Dean Street | 2017 | Gary Hume | | Relief | — | |
| | Herm | Rathbone Square | 2018 | Alison Wilding | — | Drinking fountain | — | The bronze fountain provides water at different levels for adults, children and users of wheelchairs. |
| | Infinite Geometry | Rathbone Square | 2018 | Robert Orchardson | — | Gates | — | |
| | No Title | Tottenham Court Road station | 2018 | Richard Wright | | Ceiling decoration | — | A geometric pattern in gold leaf on the ceiling above the escalator for the eastern ticket hall. |
| More images | Geology Rebuilt | Soho Place | 2022 | Fernando Casasempere | — | Sculpture | — | Unveiled in Spring 2022. |
| More images | Reflection | Dean Street | 2022 | David Breuer-Weil | — | Sculpture | — | Unveiled in Spring 2022. |
| | The Carnaby Mural | Little Marlborough Street | 2022 | Kristjana S. Williams | | Mural | — | Unveiled 24 November 2022. |
| | London is a Forest | Lucent building, Sherwood Street 51°30′38″N 0°08′07″W﻿ / ﻿51.5105°N 0.1353°W﻿ / 51.5105; -0.1353﻿ (London is a Forest) | 2023 | Acrylicize | | Sculpture | — | |
| | undergroundoverheard | Tottenham Court Road station, Dean Street entrance | 2024 | Douglas Gordon | | Video art | — | Unveiled 1 February 2024. |