When I was adding a new storey to my house, I was required by the council to keep my chimneys, as we are in a conservation area. Even though there are no chimney breasts in the house now. So, I thought the least I could do was cheer up the roof scape on the street with some colourful chimneys. Inspired by Ettore Sottsass’s Totem range of sculptures, I wanted to make some pop chimney pots.

I decided to make the chimneys out of concrete sections. I tried Jesmonite but when I spoke to their technical department, they advised me that it wasn’t weather proof. So, I ended up using concrete. To keep the weight down I filled the core of each section with lightweight aircrete blocks. I used undulating polycarbonate roofing to make bases with a wavy profile. Large profile drainage pipes for the joining sections. I got a great selection of bowls from Brixton market. For odd geometric shapes I found sweet tins were good. Last but not least, for a crazy spiral at the top I cast a silicone cake mould.

In keeping with a pop art feel, I made some weather vanes in the shape of clouds to go on top of two of the chimneys. They are laser cut perspex clouds.

The builders and myself spent the morning on the roof putting the chimneys together. Firstly, they bolted a threaded rod onto the concrete crown. I also cast the crown for the tops of the chimneys, so that they had a better profile than your usual chimney. They were incredibly heavy and I think it took all the builders to get them onto the roof. I just watched as I have terrible vertigo.

The sections of the chimney were then stacked over the threaded rod, glued in place, and finally bolted to make sure the didn’t go anywhere.

I think they cheer up the street’s roof scape. You can see them from my daughter’s primary school playground two streets away, which always makes me smile at school drop off or pick up.