The Silver Jubilee Crystal Crown is a

perspex Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a synthetic polymer derived from methyl methacrylate. It is a transparent thermoplastic, used as an engineering plastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and bran ...

sculpture by Arthur Fleischmann which has been displayed at the

St Katharine Docks St Katharine Docks is a former dock in the St Katherine and Wapping ward of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies in the East End of London, East End on the north bank of the River Thames, immediately downstream of the Tower of London an ...

in London since the

Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the Silver jubilee, 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was celebrated with large-scale parties and parades throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth ...

in 1977. A plaque nearby claims that it is the largest solid block of acrylic in the world. The Crystal Crown is made from a large block of transparent perspex measuring approximately by by and weighting about 2 tons. The block was cast by

Stanley Plastics Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

, having been commissioned by

Stanley Kubrick Stanley Kubrick (; July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American filmmaker and photographer. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick filmography, his films were nearly all adaptations of novels or sho ...

to be used as the monolith in his 1968 film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', but Kubrick rejected the transparent block in favour of an opaque plywood structure painted black. Fleischmann acquired the unused perspex block after

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

's Borehamwood studio closed in 1970. Working in a temporary studio at St Katharine Docks, Fleischmann carved away on one side of the block, excavating a crown surrounded by the rays of a

sunburst A sunburst is a design or figure commonly used in architectural ornaments and design patterns and possibly pattern books. It consists of rays or "beams" radiating out from a central disk in the manner of sunbeams. Sometimes part of a sunbur ...

. The completed work was unveiled by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

on 5 June 1977 as part of the celebration of her Silver Jubilee, mounted inside the colonnade of the Coronarium Chapel at the docks in London. The Coronarium was roofed over and converted into a coffee shop in 2000, and the Crystal Crown was moved and mounted on the side of the Tower Hotel as part of a

lightbox A lightbox is a translucent surface illuminated from behind, used for situations where a shape laid upon the surface needs to be seen with high contrast. Types Several varieties exist, depending on their purpose: * Various backlit viewing device ...

that is backlit at night. Starbucks Coffee at St.Katharine Docks, London (geograph 1814817).jpg, The Coronarium (then a

Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...

) in 2010 St Katharine Docks 022.jpg, The Coronarium in 2009, with the Tower Hotel to the left St Katharine Docks 033.jpg, The Coronarium and the wall-mounted Crystal Crown (lower left) in 2009 St. Katharine Docks at night - geograph.org.uk - 1086270.jpg, The Crystal Crown illuminated at night (lower right) in 2008

References

Crystal Crown
londonremembers.com
The (rejected) 2001 Monolith is on display by Tower Bridge
ianvisits.co.uk
Crystal Crown
fineartfacts.com
St Katharine Docks, Jubilee Coronarium
London Picture Archive {{coords, 51.5070, -0.0726, display=title 1977 sculptures Outdoor sculptures in London Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II