INCLUSIVE CITY 77
as a juvenile detention centre (the mural Still I Rise, 2017) in Arkansas, and a monastery in Vienna. In a 2022 interview, she told Studio International: ‘I’m interested in the things that people interact with in their everyday lives, like music and fashion – things that you don’t have to go into a special space like a gallery to see. I like that murals are usually very accessible and there’s no exclusivity. When I was studying graphic design, I looked at Diego Rivera’s murals and I was drawn to his democratic, anti-elitist approach – the idea of murals being for the people.’ She was an inspired pick as collaborative
partner for architecture practice IF_DO when it entered a competition to create a prominent
landmark disguising a new electricity substation in Brent Cross, as part of developer Related Argent’s ambition to turn an unlovely neighbourhood into something more atmospheric and appealing. It won an FX Award in 2024 for Outside Space. Both in the vibrant palette and its dynamic form, it says to current and would-be residents of this rapidly evolving neighbourhood that global perspectives – and people – are welcome (see ‘Brent Cross’ case study). T omas Bryans, IF_DO co-director, tells
FX: ‘Architects are often quite wary of colour, but it’s something we are embracing more and more. Colour brings a lot of joy, and in architecture joy really matters – especially in
the urban realm, and the British urban realm in particular, which is often grey skies and grey buildings.’ Bryans is a big fan of Furman as well as
Yinka Ilori, whose gorgeous sorbet-bright palette has breathed a distinctive European/African aesthetic into public structures and brand experiences around London and further afi eld. Ilori fi rst made a splash with his summer pavilion, T e Colour Palace, which landed in the gardens of Dulwich Picture Gallery (DPG) in 2019. A commission co-created between DPG and the London Festival of Architecture, its fi rst incarnation was designed by the then fl edgeling IF_DO back in 2017. T e success of these temporary projects has inspired the team at
CASE STUDY WOMEN’S WORK: LONDON
The Women’s Work: London campaign was the brainchild of architecture activist collective Part W, as a means of highlighting the great unsung female heroes who have played a pivotal role in the evolution of Greater London’s built environment. An open call in 2022 for suggestions of projects ranging across architecture, engineering, landscape design, planning, conservation, commissioning or construction, attracted 150 suggestions, which were whittled down to 30 by judges (including Adam Nathaniel Furman). Thirty were chosen and then, following a crowd-funding initiative, printed up into a delightful map, launched on International Women’s Day 2023. Highlighted projects include:
Boatemeh Walk and Angell Town Estate, in SW9, to honour Dora Boatemeh MBE, a resident who campaigned for and secured community-controlled redevelopment, including the choice of Anne Thorne Architects to design a new block of 18 highly sustainable flats. The Shard was chosen for the lead role that engineer Roma Agrawal played in designing the iconic spire at its top. Waterloo Bridge features: the first predominantly concrete bridge across the Thames, it was constructed by a largely female construction team between 1939 and 1945 (during WWII, out of necessity, a workforce of some 25,000 women were employed in constructing and repairing houses, factories and infrastructure). Out of the 600 copies printed
of the map, many were distributed to schools across London, in order to assist teachers and encourage more girls and young women to consider professions in the built environment sector. Zoe Berman, one of the founders of Part W, says the project has ‘generated lots of
dialogue,’ though the challenge remains to bridge the gaps in opportunity caused by structural inequalities in practice, in who and what gets published, archived and awarded prizes. The map, she says, was always just one element of a toolkit, that could be adopted and adapted to celebrate women’s achievements elsewhere.
Client Part W Design Edit Collective Funding Crowdfunded
This image and above The launch of Women’s Work: London; the map highlighting the women who have played a pivotal role in the evolution of London’s built environment
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