A new structure, known as Paleys upon Pilers, has been erected at Aldgate in London to commemorate the poet Geoffrey Chaucer. The structure, built by Studio Weave (http://www.studioweave.com), was also built for the Olympic games as the gateway that leads from the City to the Olympic Park in Stratford.
Chaucer was a famous resident of this area in London. He lived in rooms above Aldgate from 1374 to 1386. Aldgate ("old gate") was one of the famous gates of London, at a time when London was surrounded by city walls. The gate was built in Roman times and was demolished in 1761. The structure stands in the place of Aldgate.
The structure was inspired by two poems that Chaucer wrote, "The House of Fame" and "The Parliament of Foules". The poems describe large structures, and they were written by the poet while he lived in Aldgate.
The structure was on display over the summer. I also snapped a photograph of a colourful bus, below, as it drove past the structure. It is amazing to think that the old walls of London rose on this point and that the old city gate filled this now-empty area. These days, there are very few places where you can see any remains of the old city walls, and the old city's gates are all but forgotten.
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