For this project, Tadashi Kawamata worked with a group of local people to convert the hull of a 21 metre ex-commercial narrowboat into an improved installation. He was fundamentally concerned with the development of strong working relationships within his team of volunteers, creating a collective spirit, whilst encouraging each individual to assert their own talents. Through its collaborative process and the use of natural materials, Canal Boat suggested a non-hierarchical social structure. The boat acted as a metaphor for the shared experience of those who designed, built and later staffed it, challenging notions of personal space and competitiveness inherent in modern urban life.