Few objects encapsulate the glory and hubris of human creation as well as Concorde, the supersonic airliner developed jointly by Britain and France, which was in service from 1976 to 2003. The culmination of decades of research and a joint development programme that ran throughout the 1960s, Concorde was a stunning technical achievement but also a commercial disaster; it took decades for the aircraft to break even and just 20 were built against projected orders of over 100.
Concorde 002 (G-BSST), the first British-built prototype, is unveiled to British Aircraft Corporation staff at Filton, Bristol, in September 1968
Yet, half a century after its first commercial flights (the routes were, surprisingly, London to Bahrain and Paris to Rio de Janeiro via Dakar) and 23 years after three BA aircraft roared low through the London sky en route to their final landing at Heathrow, one after the other, Concorde hasn’t quite departed from our cultural imagination. Everything from watches to supercars has been inspired by the aircraft’s slender delta wings and dart-like form.
ML Aviation Type 12P helmet, a high-altitude pressure helmet worn by Concorde test crews. It supplied oxygen and provided respiratory protection in the event of cabin depressurisation
‘Supersonic’ is a special one-off exhibition by London-based creative studio INK. The studio has a long history of exploring the artistry of transportation tech, using photography, design and CGI to celebrate the best industrial design and technology. Previous projects include the ‘plain bodied’ series of racing cars; ‘Wundercar’, a celebration of Porsche’s 959; and collaborations with companies as diverse as Polestar, Nasa and Hermès.
Air-Ventilated Suit (AVS) worn by the British prototype crew during Concorde's early test flights to circulate air around the body to regulate temperature and reduce perspiration
‘Supersonic’ features archive material and original creative works, drawing on items from the rarely seen British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) archives. These fascinating pieces of supersonic ephemera will be shown alongside a four-metre Concorde model and a brand-new CGI reimagining of the aircraft by INK's team.
A scale model of Concorde in American Airlines livery, held in the BAE Systems archive
‘For us, the exhibition is as much about celebrating that vision of the future as it is about Concorde itself,’ says William Evans, INK’s creative producer. ‘It's a chance to revisit a remarkable moment when design, engineering and imagination came together to create something truly extraordinary.’
For INK, Concorde represents much more than misguided commercial planning and the geopolitical and environmental complexities that stymied the aircraft from the outset. ‘With its distinctive design and extraordinary speed, Concorde transformed perceptions of air travel and became an enduring symbol of modernity, innovation and human ambition,’ the agency says.
The flight engineer's station aboard Concorde 202 (G-BBDG) on display at Brooklands Museum, from which the aircraft's fuel, electrical and engine systems were monitored and managed during flight
Other materials come from the Brooklands Museum (where one of the 18 surviving Concordes is on permanent display) and Airbus Heritage; it’s a feast of airline ephemera and design from the heyday of global travel, back when Concorde sat at the very top of the tree.
Concorde prototypes 002 and 001 at the British Aircraft Corporation flight test centre, RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, on 6 January 1972
‘“Supersonic” revisits a time when ambition, technology and collaboration would change our understanding of travel,’ says the INK. ‘Through Concorde, the exhibition celebrates the optimism of the era and asks what it means to imagine a future without limits.’
‘Supersonic – 50 Years of Concorde’, private view, Thursday 19 November 2026 ,6pm – 11pm Hoxton Arches, Arch 402, Cremer Street, London E2 8HD, Supersonic.INK, weareINK.co.uk, @weareink