Superman soars above London: The Shard hosts UK's highest sculpture

Londoners got a superhero-sized surprise this morning (1st July) as Superman himself appeared, not in a phone booth, but suspended over 300 metres above the capital within the exposed spire of The Shard.

Early risers, likely rubbing the sleep from their eyes, spotted the iconic figure majestically floating at 5 am, prompting crowds to gather in the London Bridge area for a glimpse of the Man of Steel, probably thinking, "that's some pigeon".

This stunt, marking the highest-ever public sculpture display here in the UK, celebrates the release of James Gunn’s new film, Superman, hitting cinemas on 11th July. With the film's tagline, "Look Up," London was encouraged to do just that – and with Superman visible from up to 40 miles away, it was easily done.

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James Gunn, writer, director, and co-chairman of DC Studios, said, “To see such a realistic depiction of our Superman displayed on the top of The Shard is mind-blowing!”. Daniel Fulbrook, Head of Marketing for REM, asset manager of The Shard, added, "To see him suspended within The Shard’s spire is truly surreal." We imagine it’s quite surreal for Superman too, who likely felt lost suspended above the big smoke.

Crafted from a welded steel framework and a fibreglass body, the 120kg sculpture took four months and over 2,000 man-hours to create. It was assembled on-site in nine complex sections – clearly, even superheroes need flat-pack instructions.

So, next time you're in London, remember to look up. The film, which is set to arrive soon, is poised to be the next big chapter in Gunn’s new DC Universe, which can hopefully deliver on the legacy of the characters and comics, which have so far lacked direction.

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