The artwork, a partnership between Speedo and students from the Chelsea College of Art and Design, reuses the now obsolete Speedo LZR Racer swimsuit.

The suit launched in 2008, was worn by the likes of the Olympian Michael Phelps, but in July 2009 the design was banned by swimming bodies.

Instead of throwing away the old suits students created the artwork Space of Waste at Ecobuild last week.

The structure focuses on the complete deconstruction of the Speedo LZR Racer fabric with the suits cut into thin strips before being remanufactured through various knitting and weaving techniques, exploring the different properties of the material and how it can be adapted for a use completely removed from its original purpose.

Speedo International president, David Robinson, said: “Speedo is committed to reducing its impact on the environment, and we are delighted to be working with Chelsea College of Art and Design as we continue to find new and innovative uses for our excess stocks of the Speedo LZR Racer suit.

“Students at the college have shown an enormous amount of creativity and originality in creating ‘Space of Waste’, demonstrating the versatility of the LZR Racer fabric by deconstructing it from its original form for an entirely new use”

Luke Walsh

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