James Lambert: The Westminster Public Facilities Commission

From social criticism to humorous commentary, art history is abundant with lavatorial imagery. Pieter Bruegel the Elder used toilet scenes during the Renaissance to satirise human folly, while in 1917, the now ubiquitous Fountain by Marcel Duchamp challenged traditional notions of art.

Building on this creative tradition, CAS *Consultancy, appointed by Principal Contractor FM Conway, is delivering an ambitious public art scheme across eight sites as part of the City of Westminster’s extensive refurbishment of public conveniences.

Artist James Lambert has been commissioned for his playful and energetic approach using patterned motifs that respond to each local area. City of Westminster sought to commission an artist with a bold and graphic aesthetic, capable of weaving a compelling narrative across the borough. Lambert and CAS *Consultancy are working closely with the City of Westminster, Hugh Broughton Architects and its project partners to creatively integrate artwork throughout each distinct site. To capture Lambert’s hand-drawn aesthetic, his designs are screen-printed by Digital Ceramics onto traditionally crafted ceramic tiles produced by H&E Smith. Both fabrication partners are based in Stoke-on-Trent, a British city shaped by centuries of ceramics production and history.



Titled Westminster Notes, this series of innovative public artworks by Lambert is being installed alongside their public convenience refurbishment scheme across the West End of London in 2025 and 2026. Victoria Embankment, Parliament Street and Piccadilly Circus are the first three public conveniences to have been completed. The project brings together architecture, engineering and art to deliver a holistic vision for equitable space in the heart of the capital.

Victoria Embankment

The artwork at Victoria Embankment incorporates ‘lines of energy’ echoing Joseph Bazalgette’s complex feat of engineering alongside an Embankment ‘guardian’ sphinx designed by George John Vulliamy, the ‘superintending architect’ to the Metropolitan Board of Works. There are design references to the London Underground and the sights of Victoria Embankment Gardens, as well as the Thames, depicted in a stylised Tattershall Castle Steamer and abstracted anchors and palm trees, echoing the historical importance of the river Thames in shaping global sea trade routes.

Parliament Street

The artwork at Parliament Street brings together motifs of power and play in one of Westminster’s busiest public spaces. Repeated Big Ben icons and regimented toy soldiers evoke both national symbolism and a sense of whimsy, while graphic hands recall acts of pointing, voting, and protest – from tourists to suffragettes. Referencing the iconic arches of Westminster Bridge and the celebratory spirit of the historical Brocks Fireworks, the design nods to the Festival of Britain and centuries of civic gathering in Parliament Square. The work scales the energy of the site like a circuit board – charged, directional, and magnetic – visually linking Parliament Street to Westminster Underground Station via the pedestrian underpass.

Piccadilly Circus

The artwork at Piccadilly Circus celebrates energy, spectacle and connection in one of London’s most iconic meeting points. Often misidentified as Eros, the figure poised above the junction is in fact Anteros, the god of requited love. Whimsical winged characters echo his presence across the tiles, while the trajectory of his arrow becomes a central visual motif within the composition. 

Drawing on both myth and modernity, swirling lines of energy radiate outward, referencing nearby Art Deco detailing and animating the space with a sense of rhythm, performance and joy. The design captures the perpetual motion of Piccadilly Circus; a place of encounter, anticipation and display. 

Further motifs drawn from theatres, music halls and cinemas recall the area’s long history as a stage for entertainment — from the Criterion’s subterranean 'temple of drama' to the luminous digital screens that define today’s skyline. Dot-matrix patterns and pixelated forms nod to the illuminated billboards that have shaped Piccadilly’s visual identity for over a century, while gilded flourishes evoke the opulence of its historic pleasure-palace interiors. Together, these elements create a playful and immersive environment, alive with colour and movement — a self-aware celebration of glamour that continues to make Piccadilly Circus a true 'feast for the eyes.'

Green Park 

The artwork at Green Park explores the spectacle, eclecticism, and regal presence of the area. Graphic lines referencing both the roots of the surrounding landscape and the Royal family tree playfully link bold visual elements across the site, echoing the connections that run beneath the surface of this historic promenade between Buckingham Palace and Piccadilly.  

Symbols such as the lion from the Palace’s Canada Gates and figures nodding to Beau Brummell, the original dandy, sit alongside star-like forms that can also be read as scattered daffodils. These are juxtaposed with shapes referencing a culture of refinement, hospitality, and ornament, recalling the elegant traditions of nearby arcades and Jermyn Street. 

Allusions to historic follies, including the Temple of Concord, appear through a radiant sun motif, while jewellery-like links and reflective patterns create a kaleidoscopic sense of movement and light. Together, these elements create a playful environment, alive with pattern, light, and a refined sense of grandeur, capturing the rich character of Green Park.  

Future Artwork Locations

From an homage to Anteros’ arrow at Piccadilly Circus to explorations of the hidden and celebrated symbolism of Green Park, six more locations—including Carnaby Street, Westminster Pier, Covent Garden and Leicester Square—will feature Lambert’s incredible visual storytelling as part of Westminster Notes.

About the artist

James Lambert is an artist based in London. Drawing lies at the heart of his practice, combining graphic line, bold colour, rhythm, pattern and distinctive rounded forms. His work explores how visual communication can convey the intangible, working with widely recognisable codes and symbols to bridge cultural and visual divides. His intuitive compositions are shaped by personal experience, pop culture and art and design history, often referencing early or rudimentary forms of graphic communication. 

His practice spans public realm, architecture and publishing commissions, often developed collaboratively and shaped by its specific context. Lambert is particularly interested in how drawing can move beyond traditional exhibition spaces and become embedded within civic and cultural environments, developing accessible yet rich visual languages for everyday life. 

His commissions include projects with the City of Westminster, Tate Publishing, Liberty, Heatherwick Studio, The Guardian, Transport for London, David Chipperfield Architects, Spectrum News and Thurrock Council, as well as collaborations with the British Fashion Council, Serpentine and Selfridges. 

Lambert holds an MA in Communication Art & Design from the Royal College of Art. His publication British Art Activity Book for Tate Publishing won the international FILAF Award for Best Children’s Art Book. His work is held in the Tate Archive and has been exhibited at venues including Sketch Gallery, London, and the Design Museum. 
 

Westminster Notes

Westminster Notes is a short video commissioned by the City of Westminster. It shows the behind-the-scenes of artist James Lambert working on the commission for Victoria Embankment; the first of eight public conveniences to be refurbished and include artwork by James Lambert.

Fabrication & Materials 

Lambert’s hand-drawn designs are translated into ceramic through a screen-printing process by Digital Ceramics and fabricated by H&E Smith in Stoke-on-Trent — a city shaped by centuries of ceramics production. The tiles combine graphic precision with material durability, ensuring the artwork integrates seamlessly into the architectural setting while retaining the vitality of Lambert’s drawn line.