Burlington Arcade's carpet features iconic buildings

For the first time in history, a highly anticipated design featuring 92 iconic buildings from around the world, has replaced the traditional 180-metre carpet which runs the full length of the arcade.

The new carpet was unveiled by The Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP, Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, with Burlington Arcade’s famous Beadles – the liveried guards wearing frock coats and braided top hats who have policed the Arcade since 1819.

This is the fruit of a collaboration between internationally renowned bespoke furniture and interior design company LINLEY, and 200-year-old Royal Warrant holding carpet manufacturers, Brintons Carpets, who have united their talents to welcome international visitors to London’s most iconic shopping arcade.

Following a year when the eyes of the world were on London, thanks to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games, shops in Burlington Arcade celebrated a 42% increase in purchases from international visitors, helping to cement its position as a worldwide shopping destination.

Keeping the international spotlight firmly on London’s famous shopping experience, Burlington Arcade commissioned these leaders in exquisite British design, to create a brand new, bespoke carpet that runs the full length of the longest and most beautiful covered shopping arcade in Britain. The focus of the design is to welcome international visitors to the luxury landmark, whilst acting as a showcase for British creativity, wit, design and manufacturing.

The contemporary design features iconic structures from every continent around the world; from bridges to cultural venues and centres of industry and business. Whilst contemporary, the design is still very much connected to traditional LINLEY marquetry and furniture and exemplifies architecture and heritage.

The carpet incorporates old and new architecture from around the world in one piece. The layout of the buildings on the carpet is designed to lead visitors through the Arcadeas the city skyline weaves in and out. The buildings are arranged from left to right according to how their respective countries sit on the world map and are clustered together with neighbouring countries from the continents they belong to.

The design includes the Eiffel Towerin Paris, St Pauls Cathedral in London, Italy’s Duomo di Milano, Reichstagin Berlin, Seattle’s Space Needle, New York’s Empire State Building, Chrysler Building and Guggenheim Museum, the Christ Redeemerin Rio, the Sydney Opera House, Moscow’s Dormiti on Cathedral, The Aspire Tower in Doha, India’s Taj Mahal, China’s Pearl TV Towerand Forbidden Cityand The Sail in Singapore.

The carpet also features a few design surprises, and visitors who look carefully might see Mary Poppins flying over the London skyline, Quasimodo make an appearance in Paris and King Kongon New York’s Empire State Building.

Burlington Arcade