The Brief: An Italian group of investors approached Artwise to commission a public artwork for the 7 Howick Place development - a former Royal Mail Sorting office in London Victoria. The public art commission needed to act as a landmark for this art and design hub, as well as to introduce London to the groups' considered approach to redevelopment that transformed Milan's Zona Tortona by converting old buildings into vibrant business villages dedicated to fashion, art and design.

The Artwise Solution: Respecting the building's original Victorian character, Artwise commissioned artist Idris Khan to create a permanent public artwork sited in the entrance of 7 Howick Place. Khan responded with four individual films collectively known as Fragile, and are played across a set of sunlight readable LCD screens embedded directly into the pavement making this the first ever outdoor art installation of floor-mounted LCD screens in the UK - developed especially for the project by Flasma. By installing the screens in the ground, Khan encourages the viewer to look down and even walk over them; adding a unique sculptural feeling and a strange potency to what is seen. Fragile celebrates the tradition of postal communication and considers the nature of letter writing and the permanence of the written word, all of which is examined in these films through the depiction of letters and packages being treated and handled in different ways - at times abstractly, at others literally. For this commission, the artist collaborated with a set designer, architect, lighting designer and photographer to convert his studio into a 1950s post sorting office entirely constructed in cardboard, paper and tape to create a surreal environment in which the films were produced. Fragile is the first permanent moving-image public artwork approved by Westminster City Council and is on view daily between 7am and 1am.