Currently on the Fourth Plinth

Model for a Hotel, photo by James O Jenkins Thomas Schütte’s sculpture 'Model for a Hotel 2007' was unveiled on Wednesday 7 November 2007.

It is an architectural model of a twenty-one storey building, constructed in specially engineered red, yellow and blue glass and weighing over 8 tonnes.

Model for a Hotel 2007 is in the shape of an architectural model composed of three blocks: a building with 21 storeys, a big lobby, and a horizontal block of 8 storeys, extending over the edge of the plinth. It is constructed in several parts attached to each other, reaching a total height of 5 metres - about the same size as the plinth. From each side, a different shape and a different context or background is revealed.

The sculpture is translucent against the sky and will become part of the important historical buildings all around Trafalgar Square. Model for a Hotel 2007 is sculpture, model and architecture all in one. It is also, at the same time, a commentary on the present.

What pigeons will do to the material is not quite clear.

Thomas Schütte said: 'I was really pleased to win the Fourth Plinth Commission. Developing a sculpture for such a well-known iconic place in London has been a thought-provoking creative challenge. This year I have had two shows in the UK and now to have this ambitious new project realised is very rewarding.'

Thomas Schütte is one of the most important artists of his generation. Since the 1970s he has produced a diverse body of work, including figurative sculpture, architectural models, ceramics and watercolours.