A striking new fusion of sculpture, architecture and design has emerged in the heart of the City of London, where award-winning sculptor David Worthington has unveiled a series of monumental travertine ‘boulder benches’. Created in collaboration with John Robertson Architects, Marble Projects in Pietrasanta, and Bill Amberg Studio, the installation at 20 Gresham Street redefines the boundaries between public art and functional design. Set within the Guildhall complex near St Paul’s Cathedral, these sculptural stone benches transform a corporate interior into a gallery-like environment, positioning the project at the forefront of contemporary architectural sculpture in London.
The renowned Sculptor was commissioned to create four ‘sculptural benches’ for visitors. Worthington collaborated closely with JRA to design a series of travertine benches measuring up to five metres in length and weighing up to 2.5 tons. During the two-year project, Worthington spent time in Pietrasanta near Carrara, working with Marble Projects (founded by artist Kevin Francis Grey), and sourced Tuscan travertine from S.I.T.I. Quarry in southern Tuscany to harmonise with 20 Gresham Street’s interior architecture. Bill Amberg Studios crafted elegantly formed cushions in Tuscan leather that blend seamlessly into the design. The resulting work serves as a synthesis of sculpture, design, craftsmanship, and architecture, evoking something that is simultaneously Neolithic and futuristic.
David Worthington Sculptural Stone Benches 2026 20 Gresham Street London © DavidWorthington
David Worthington is an award-winning sculptor, academic, lecturer and curator whose work explores the evolving language of abstract sculpture. His early fascination with abstraction began at the age of ten after encountering a sculpture by Barbara Hepworth in a school history book. This experience continues to resonate through his practice. JRA completed the repositioning of 20 Gresham Street, delivering an extensive upgrade of two office levels and repositioning the asset’s basement space. The standout feature of the refurbishment is the reimagining of the existing double-height ground-floor entrance hall, dominated by a full-height sculptured travertine wall and full-height glazing along Gresham Street.
The choice of material was influenced by the materiality of the retained wall relief that is incorporated into JRA’s interior design. The stone for the benches was sourced and cut from a single block at the S.I.T.I. Travertino Toscano quarry in Rapolano Terme, south of Siena, in Tuscany. The geology and travertine terrace formation in its natural environment, coupled with the natural forms of the stones and fossils found along riverbeds, inspired the design. Two 5-metre, one 4-metre, and one 3-metre solid travertine benches have been installed.
David Worthington says of the project: “The benches at 20 Gresham Street form an integral part of the overall concept for the entrance hall. JRA originally conceived the idea of monumental benches in travertine, echoing the pebble-like scallops within the travertine wall of the existing building. My own work is inspired by the natural world and organic forms, and is influenced by Modernist sculptors such as Isamu Noguchi. I regard sculpture and design as equal but distinct disciplines, each contributing in its own way to the built environment. In collaboration with JRA and the production team, I believe we have created a highly accessible, visually captivating and functional installation. The benches at 20 Gresham Street are a lasting connection between the natural environment and the existing building.”
The sculptural benches and the Acrylicize hanging mobile installation were integral to JRA’s initial concepts, derived from the architectural, sculptural, and material qualities of the travertine wall, part of the original base building. The connection to the natural environment is further strengthened by the introduction of large, living trees, which bring scale and softness to the design.”
This is a new direction for Worthington, and he is offering stone sculptural furniture as a new product range. The bench designs are available for sale or to commission. There are plans for an exhibition at the International Stone Fair Marmo+Mac in Verona in September. 2026: 20 Gresham Street is located within the City of London, close to Guildhall and St Paul’s Cathedral and in proximity to the Guildhall Conservation Area.
David Magyar, Director, JRA, comments: “Our design for the new entrance hall at 20 Gresham Street aspires to be more like a gallery space than a reception area. Tenants – and their visitors – are encouraged to dwell, enjoy and interact with high-quality artwork in a beautifully curated setting. JRA has created a unique arrival experience, combining a considered architectural adaptation of the existing space with new, dynamic artwork in the form of sculptural benches by David Worthington, in collaboration with Marble Projects and Bill Amberg Studio.
David Worthington Sculptural Stone Benches 2026 20 Gresham Street London © DavidWorthington
About David Worthington
David Worthington is an award-winning sculptor, academic, lecturer and curator whose work explores the evolving language of abstract sculpture. His early fascination with abstraction began at the age of ten after encountering a sculpture by Barbara Hepworth in a school history book. This experience continues to resonate through his practice.
Worthington studied Philosophy and Theology at Oxford University, graduating in 1984, before undertaking formal art training in London, Barcelona, and New York. His artistic education included Byam Shaw School of Art in London, the Massana School of Art and Belles Artes Barcelona University, and later the New York Studio School. He worked at PS1 Studios in New York, assisted Mike Heizer on photomontage for a pyramid project and undertook a residency at the Llórens Artigas Foundation in Gallifa. He later completed an MA in Visual Culture at Middlesex University. Worthington’s sculptural oeuvre is in sustained dialogue with the Modernist tradition of Brancusi, Arp, Moore, Hepworth and Noguchi. It is characterised by reductive forms and deep interior voids carved into stone. Recent projects exemplify this multidisciplinary, innovative approach that bridges the past and present while projecting into the future. His work deliberately disrupts the purity of Modernist object sculpture, most recently with a series of new sculptures exhibited at 33 Davies Street (2025-2026) using enamel paint and contemporary colour palettes drawn from design and car culture.
These bold chromatic interventions challenge the aspirational whiteness of marble associated with neoclassicism, positioning his sculptures between art, architecture, and design. Worthington has realised major public commissions in the UK, the United States, Japan and China. In 2010, he installed a large-scale public sculpture in Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, for Henderson Global Investors. His work is held in the Creative Cities Collection in Beijing, and he will unveil a new sculpture commission with Swire Hong Kong in April 2026.
Worthington was shortlisted for the Jerwood Sculpture Prize in 2009 and has held solo exhibitions and exhibited at institutions and galleries including; the Royal British Society of Sculptors, Tate Modern Live, Sculpture at Goodwood, Art Basel Miami, Lefevre Gallery, William Bennington Gallery, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Glastonbury Festival, Dubai Art Fair, Fine Art Society, Knebworth House, Sladmore Gallery, The Lightbox Museum Woking and Llorens Artigas Foundation in Barcelona.
Alongside his practice, Worthington has had a distinguished career in academia and curatorship. He was elected a Trustee of the Royal British Society of Sculptors in 2004, became a Fellow in 2005, and served as Vice President from 2010 to 2013. His curatorial projects include Sculpture at Woburn Abbey (with Sladmore Gallery), Sculpture at Glyndebourne (2011), and About Things Natural at the Chelsea Physic Garden (2012). In 2013, he co-founded Fox & Worthington Fine Art in Bridport, Dorset, with his wife, the artist Jane Fox. An accredited lecturer with The Arts Society, Worthington continues to balance teaching, research, curating, and practice, lecturing widely, including in Australia in 2024 and 2026. He has also contributed to public life, serving as an elected councillor on Bridport Town Council from 2015.