Architecture collective Assemble has unveiled Fibredog, a striking public artwork that doubles as a shelter in London's Regent's Park. The Turner Prize-winning group created the installation for this year's Frieze Sculpture exhibition, which runs alongside the London edition of the prestigious Frieze Art Fair. The dog-like structure is designed to resemble a mythical creature and serves as both an artistic statement and functional shelter for park visitors.
The installation responds directly to this year's Frieze Sculpture theme, "In the Shadows," which explores darkness as a space for creativity rather than something ominous. Positioned strategically among trees and logs in Regent's Park, Fibredog was designed to have a commanding presence that simultaneously feels like a natural and protective part of the landscape. The sculpture draws its conceptual foundation from folkloric crafts and customs, including global traditions of handmaking figures such as wicker men, worry dolls, and corn dollies, which have historically been used to confront anxieties and fears.
Assemble developed the material palette by drawing inspiration from den-building culture, traditional thatch roofs, and the park environment itself. The structure incorporates cedar timber, woven wicker, sedge-grass thatch, and guy ropes, creating a harmonious blend of natural materials. "Trained as architects, we are used to building objects at a larger scale generally, and for this year's Frieze Sculpture brief it felt even more exciting to create a sense of looming presence, a spectacular being, referencing the wicker man or an object which can be read as part of the landscape," explained Assemble partner Maria Lisogorskaya.
Partner Mary Anderson emphasized the deeper conceptual threads behind the work, stating, "Some conceptual threads include how folkloric crafts and rituals offer a cathartic creative framework. It's been interesting to highlight a human impulse to make things in the face of the unknown and the potential power of that for better or for worse." The sculpture's body was specifically designed to emulate a thatched roof, offering practical shelter within the park while "blurring the line between architecture and art."
The creation of Fibredog involved collaboration with skilled craftspeople, including basket maker Mollie McMillen and master thatcher Mark Harrington, who brought traditional techniques to the contemporary art piece. The cedar structural frame was developed in partnership with furniture manufacturer UniFor at their factory outside Milan, demonstrating the international scope of the project's production process.
Beyond creating a playful and intriguing sculpture, Assemble aimed to draw public attention to the potential of local and pre-industrial materials in contemporary construction. "While traditional building crafts like wicker and thatch might seem a world away from lots of Londoners' daily lives, reflecting on how things are made and what has been passed down through generations highlights a human capacity to question, invent and solve things," Anderson noted. "This is something that we think is important to keep in the public consciousness and something that we see as being under threat."
Fibredog will remain on display at Frieze Sculpture until November 2, 2025, giving visitors an extended opportunity to experience the installation. Following the exhibition's conclusion, Assemble is actively seeking plans to relocate the artwork and is currently in discussions with owners of various parks and public spaces to provide it with a permanent home.
Founded in 2010, Assemble operates as a multi-disciplinary collective working across architecture, design, and art. The group's previous notable projects include the Granby Winter Garden in Liverpool and "skatable sculptures" created for the Creative Folkestone Triennial. The Frieze London art fair itself runs from October 15 to 19, 2025, providing a concentrated period of contemporary art exhibitions and installations throughout the city.
