Waddesdon's 12-metre Wedding Cake sculpture must be removed by 2036

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 19:03 · Archive

A 12-metre ceramic sculpture at Waddesdon estate must be removed by 2036 due to tile safety concerns.

A three-storey, 12-metre ceramic sculpture at Waddesdon estate near Aylesbury must be removed by 2036 after faults in its tiles and ornaments raised health and safety concerns. The work by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, unveiled in 2023, was designed to resemble a wedding cake and clad in handmade tiles from the Viúva Lamego manufactory, a Lisbon-based producer operating for 170 years at the time.

The sculpture was described as Vasconcelos' most ambitious commission to date and celebrated festivity and marriage. Its 11-metre diameter was chosen because it was the smallest circle that could be built using the manufactory's standard 14cm square tiles. Visitors could explore its levels and balconies.

Waddesdon director Pippa Shirley said the commission reflected the estate's spirit of hospitality and artistic creativity. However, the Rothschild Foundation identified that tile and ornament faults posed health and safety risks, with no viable solution identified. Buckinghamshire Council approved a change to the listed building consent in February 2026, allowing removal earlier than originally planned. The concrete base, paving and gravel paths will remain as a setting for changing sculpture exhibitions until 2036.

How it is being reported

• Twelve-metre ‘Wedding Cake’ sculpture on grounds of country estate near Aylesbury faces removalA three-storey, 12-metre “Wedding Cake” sculpture once hailed as a “temple to love” must be removed by 2036 after faults in its ceramic tiles raised health and safety concerns.Bucks Herald · 2 Nov, 14:12
• Waddesdon’s 12-metre ‘Wedding Cake’ must be removed by 2036 amid tile safety fearsFaults in the tiles of Waddesdon’s 12-metre Wedding Cake raised safety concerns. It must be removed by 2036, and the site will be restored to grass.Bucks Free Press · 2 Nov, 12:30

In this story: Waddesdon · Joana Vasconcelos · Rothschild Foundation · Buckinghamshire Council · Viúva Lamego

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