Founded by London designers Ian Flood and Chris Prosser, Skyline Chess combines their love of architecture and chess by turning the game pieces into various cities’ most architectural icons.
Skyline Chess Set
The two have re-imagined some of the world’s most iconic buildings as chess pieces and have just launched their first set, that of London. (Update: The NY Edition is out now and available for order here)
Ian and Chris developed the idea over a few chess matches and went on to model the pieces in 3D and then had them printed in 3D. They thought long and hard about suitable alternatives for the chessmen, both in terms of their architectural and symbolic value as well as their value on the chess board.
With designs for Paris and New York already in the pipeline, they hope to produce several other major cities around the world, allowing the different skylines to be pitted against each one other on the chess board.
In The London Set
Pawns are the quintessential London abode – the humble terraced house:
Big Ben, one of London’s most recognizable landmarks, serves as the Rook:
The London Eye playing the Knight:
The Gherkin is cast as the Bishop:
The most dominant building on London’s skyline, Renzo Piano’s Shard, lends its elegance and might to the role of the Queen:
No other building than Canary Wharf would be better suited to play the King, and this piece stands at four and a half inches tall:
They have selected the highest quality materials to create beautiful and unique objects for both the chess player and design enthusiast alike. The 32-piece set is cast in injection moulded acrylic. Each piece is double weighted and has a soft felt base. Finished in classic black and white, each set comes complete with a folding board and presentation box.
The London Skyline Chess set is the perfect gift for someone looking for a unique piece of British design.
Weight: 1.6 kg
Dimensions: 24.5 x 22.5 x 8 cm
Price: £80.00, Shop for it here
CORIAN CHESS BOARDS
They also sell exclusive Corian chess boards as the perfect playing surface. Each £150.00 board measures 45x45cm with a black trim around the edge.
BESPOKE / CUSTOM
They will work with you to craft your own personal set based on any design or idea of your choice.Careful consideration is taken to each piece selection to make sure it works as a playable piece on the board.Their bespoke service is able to offer a range of different materials, samples of which are available on request.
Visit their site or email them directly at contact@ for more information