Fourth plinth

The Fourth Plinth stands as a defiant correction to the rigid traditions of the square around it. While its three counterparts were completed in the mid nineteenth century to hold heavy, permanent equestrian statues of monarchs and military commanders, this final pedestal remained empty for over one hundred and fifty years. The architect Sir Charles Barry originally intended for it to display a statue of King William the Fourth, but the project collapsed when the money ran out. This lack of funding accidentally created one of the most famous temporary art spaces in the world, transforming a symbol of imperial stagnation into a rotating stage for contemporary culture.