Henrietta House
In November 2021, Art Source commissioned Yann Brien to submit designs and create three large compositions for the fifth floor of CBRE’s London headquarters, Henrietta House, located in Marylebone, W1.
Taking on such a large-scale project was both exciting and intimidating, with a steep learning curve along the way.
To approach the task, Yann revisited books on perception and psychology, thinking of the project as an ongoing experience for the building’s occupants. Given that these pieces would become part of the environment and coexist with people for an extended period, the aim was to design them as open, light structures—almost like empty vessels—integrated seamlessly into the fabric of the building itself.
The visuals were inspired by readings on physics, particularly the concept that at the quantum level, particles exist in multiple states simultaneously, with an infinite number of possibilities until they are observed. This notion informed his approach, encouraging an exploration of duality and change within the compositions.
The quality of light entering the building was another significant influence. The light shifted in color and intensity throughout the day, casting shadows softened by the building's subdued artificial lighting. Yann chose a limited and muted color palette to allow the bold shapes to gradually blend into the everyday environment, becoming part of the background of daily life, despite their scale and presence.
The result was an attempt to depict conceptual objects in two distinct states at a single moment in time. The compositions are intended to be a quiet reminder that our perception of the world is subjective, shaped by our senses and the meaning we assign to what we see.