Site Plan II

Norman Foster's Willis Faber Building from between 1973 and 1974 is regarded as a seminal work of high-tech architecture. The building was designed as the country headquarters for insurance company Willis Faber & Dumas (later Willis Corroon). Designated as a Grade I listed building in 1992, Foster’s masterpiece is recognised as an architectural landmark and a major contribution to contemporary debate on modern design in the urban landscape.

In 1997, Brian Clarke collaborated with Foster on a proposal for a new structure in the form of an illuminated tower comprised of glass rods, loosely taking its shape from the building's plan. Out of this initial desire to create a site-specific work emerged Site Plan II, a tapestry which Clarke sketched out in a series of drawings and independent paintings before its woven resolution.

Clarke writes in Brian Clarke: Projects (1998):

‘The tapestry, sited at the head of the large entrance vestibule, is a recent addition to the interior and is a testament to the continuing involvement I have with this site and one of my greatest friends. Willis Faber is one of my favourite buildings in the world. In the late 70s I based a painting on it and have visited it countless times over twenty years. Being asked to make a tapestry for this central circulation space was like being invited home. I see this as a small victory in my work.'