Commissioning programme

The Fourth Plinth, in the north-west corner of Trafalgar Square, was originally designed by Sir Charles Barry and built in 1841 to display an equestrian statue. There were insufficient funds to create such a statue and so the plinth remained empty for a century and a half.

In 1998 the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) commissioned a series of three works - by Mark Wallinger, Bill Woodrow, and Rachel Whiteread - to be temporarily displayed on the plinth. Read more about the RSA project.

Prior to the RSA’s initiative the plinth attracted little or no attention, but the success of the commissions was indicated by the level of press and media attention, which continues today. To take advantage of this renewed interest the Government asked Sir John Mortimer QC to set up an independent committee to consider the long-term future of the plinth. Having examined the public response to the RSA programme and consulted with a wide range of people, the committee unanimously recommended that the plinth should continue to be used for an ongoing series of temporary works of art commissioned from leading national and international artists.

Mayor Ken Livingstone endorsed this recommendation when he took on responsibility for Trafalgar Square, and a panel of specialist advisors - the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group - was appointed to guide and monitor a programme of contemporary art commissions. The Fourth Plinth Commissioning Programme is an important aspect of the GLA’s vision for Trafalgar Square.