COMMUTERS stopped in their tracks as they spotted a full-size London bus – which had been folded in half.
The single decker, measuring six metres by 6.2 metres, appeared to have been folded upwards at a 90-degree angle with its rear end nearly six metres off the ground in Old Street, Shoreditch.
Created by artist Caspar Philips, the vehicle has been built from a host of recycled materials from real London buses.
LED lights, windscreen wipers, wing mirrors, chrome wheels and tyres were used to make the identical mind-bending replica.
The bus was constructed to the accurate scale of a real single decker bus taking a total of two months to design and build.
The art project was commissioned by Samsung, to mark the release of its Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6 smartphones, which come with a range of new features including Galaxy AI.
Caspar Philips said: “Creating a folded, scale model of a red London bus was huge fun, but incredibly challenging at the same time.
“I hope the public enjoy the playfulness of this huge piece of public art which is quite literally designed to stop the traffic.
“I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to bring the installation to life and be a part of the ‘Fold Town’ art project.”
Additional art installations in Old Street – aptly renamed to Fold Street – include a folded bench, lamp post and telephone box, created by designer Jem Hughes.
The iconic telephone box was complete with a payphone and phone book, with the lamp post folding at nearly three metres tall.
The art installations will remain in situ until the 26th July.
Annika Bizon, spokesperson for MX Division Samsung, which is set to launch its slimmest and most durable foldable series, said: “Welcome to Fold Town!
“To celebrate the arrival of the new Galaxy Z series we wanted to flip East London upside down with a series of unexpected activations, including the renaming of Old Street to Fold Street.”
