Pawson's stairway to heaven

Tourist or Londoner, you've probably seen the iconic St Paul's Cathedral a hundred times before, but trust us, not like this.

Architect John Pawson's project Perspectives promises to be one of the standout pieces for this year's London Design Festival (September 19 - September 25) offering, as it does, a completely new way of seeing a building which has been around for 300 years.

The Yorkshire born, London dwelling minimalist has been given free reign over the rarely seen Geometric Staircase which leads up to the cathedral's library. He has teamed up with Swarovski Crystal to create a huge lens which sits at the bottom of the stairwell on a mirror, while at the top of the tower is another, convex mirror. Standing at the bottom of the staircase the reflections allow visitors to see Sir Christopher Wren's elegant spiralling steps from a completely new perspective.