Project To celebrate eBay’s 20th birthday, we were commissioned to design and fabricate a giant birthday cake sculpture that would serve as the centrepiece of the brand’s London celebration.
The concept was to create a visually striking, symbolic artefact that could be transported down the River Thames to the party, a festive moment that mirrored eBay’s milestone and its playful, community spirit.

Challenge The primary challenge was to translate a familiar cultural symbol “a birthday cake” into a large-scale sculptural installation that could withstand the logistical demands of a river journey while reading clearly as a celebratory object at distance. The structure had to be engineered for stability on water yet expressive enough to read as a giant, eBay-branded cake complete with tiered form, coloured icing, and illuminated candles, creating an unexpected and memorable visual presence on the River Thames.

My Role I led the creative concept, 3D design, engineering, and fabrication for the project, developing the cake as a two-tier sculptural form built from structural materials such as MDF and plywood and finished in eBay’s colours. Working with the team, we engineered the base to sit on a floating platform that could be ferried downriver from Tilbury Docks to central London. Alongside spatial design, I also developed the print and surface graphics that brought the playful, oversized cake to life.

Results & Impact The finished piece became a standout moment in eBay’s 20th birthday celebration as it travelled down the Thames to the event location, attracting attention from both invited guests and the general public. Its scale, movement, and visual clarity made it a memorable experiential marker of the brand’s milestone, demonstrating how sculptural design and engineered fabrication can transform a familiar cultural icon into a striking public spectacle.