78 INCLUSIVE CITY
DPG to create a sculpture garden in what was formerly a neglected grassy space. And soon a new, permanent, interactive art work will bring a family- and diversity-friendly spirit to this iconic, Sir John Soane-designed cultural landmark. It will open in early 2026 (see ‘Dulwich Picture Gallery playable sculpture’ case study). Tis flourishing of inclusivity in the public
realm has been a long time coming. Diversity is not just about canvassing opinions or hosting consultations where citizens get some small say over an architect’s preselected options. Bryans is clear that by choosing to work with a broader spectrum of architecture and design teams in the first place, ‘you can articulate that diversity through what is built
and what is realised. With Related Argent, I think they were very conscious of a desire to bring diversity to that site.’ Pedro Gil, founder and director of Studio
Gil, has been championing the inclusion of perspectives and design sensibilities from the global south in London projects that impact heavily on these communities. Tis advocacy was sparked in 2009 by the massive redevelopment of Elephant & Castle, where there is a strong Latin American contingent. Gil – whose parents are Colombian – made use of his architectural training to support local Latin American businesses as developer Lendlease began dismantling decades-old housing and retail infrastructure and reshaping the
neighbourhood with its aspirational park landscapes, luxury apartment blocks and unaffordable townhouses. Says Gil: ‘Te practice has been born out of a desire to give a voice to those that don’t typically have a voice in these built environment spaces. Te Latin American community in London is not often recognised. We are the second fastest-growing ethnic group in the UK second to people of Chinese heritage and comparable in size to the substantial Nigerian and Pakistani communities. We create jobs, we are entrepreneurial, we pay taxes; 50% of Latin Americans in the UK are university educated. Yet we don’t have any assets. Tere are zero buildings in Latin American ownership. Plenty
CASE STUDY BRENT CROSS
A new local landmark for residents of Brent Cross Town – one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe – has provided London-based artist Lakwena Maciver with the ultimate platform, as her joyful patterns and palette ripples across architects IF_ DO’s sculptural piece of infrastructure. IF_DO and Maciver joined forces to devise and pitch the project for developer Related Argent’s competition to establish a strong, inclusive and attractive identity at a key entry point to this site. The artwork – reaching up to 21m at its highest point – wraps around a new primary electrical substation, which sits next to the A406 North Circular at its junction with the M1 motorway. Adjacent to both the Thameslink railway line and the new Brent Cross West station, it is estimated that around six million people each year will see it. Maciver, whose childhood was spent between London and East Africa, had first-hand experience of the emotional clout that colour can bring to London’s uniformly drab, grey landscape. She says: ‘Colour tends to make people feel joyful and a lot of my work is about trying to imbue the grey
realities of life with joy and hope.’ The artwork is titled Here We Come, Here We Rise, and comprises four undulating bands and triangular lenticular panels, which are arranged to maximise the kaleidoscopic effect as viewers move around the structure. Influences include Eadweard Muybridge’s motion studies as well as roadside structures from billboards to funfairs that build animation in the landscape via skeletal frames and a brightly hued skin.
The electricity station is part of
Related Argent and Barnet Council’s ambition to be a net-zero carbon development by 2030 by investing in eficient infrastructure. It was built with primarily circular economy principles, with 50% of the structural steel salvaged from unused oil pipelines, reducing carbon emissions by over 40%.
Client Barnet Council and Related Argent
Design team Lakewna and If-Do Architects
Awards Civic Trust Award FX Public Realm Award
Completion 2023
PHOTOS: ©JOHN STURROCK
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