PHOTOS: MCCLOY+MUCHEMWA
of leases. But when it comes to owning a cultural community asset, zero. I’ve gone with my instincts about where I feel I can add value.’ Gil assisted many of those Latin American-
owned business that could afford to relocate further south, to the Old Kent Road and the Walworth Road. And since then, Studio Gil has become a
sought-after design partner and advocate in projects where communities or charities are seeking to preserve or create a space that celebrates their culture and identity. Says Gil: ‘Because of the nature of community and charity work, they are often not well-funded, but they have very clear vision, very clear needs, and very clear outputs. Where my studio gets involved
is how we translate that into space, and then we produce material that they can then use to fundraise. Around 80% of the work we do doesn’t have funding when we come on board. We lend our credibility to the organisation, so that now, the Greater London Authority or National Lottery heritage fund pay attention when we say we’re involved in something. Because they know what we do. While co-design and participation has become fashionable, we have been doing it from the outset.’ Trough Studio Gil’s advocacy and research,
Southwark is now ‘interested in developing a Latin American cultural centre, and I’m talking to Haringey about something similar,’ says Gil. Also emerging are plans for a new teenage
female-centric outdoor recreational space in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (see ‘A park for teenage girls’ case study), design, details of which will be released in early 2025. Most significantly, the London Legacy Development Corporation’s intensive ‘co-clienting’ process (going way beyond co-design, actually bringing stakeholders in on all decisions) is set to become a blueprint for future public space developments, setting a precedent for designing for marginalised communities everywhere.
* Recommended reading: Queer Spaces: An Atlas of LGBTQIA+ Spaces and Places, edited by Adam Nathaniel Furman and Joshua Mardell, published in 2020 by RIBA books.
CASE STUDY DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY PLAYABLE SCULPTURE
The elegance and greenery surrounding the Dulwich Picture Gallery (DPG – completed in 1817, designed by Sir John Soane 1817, with a 1999 extension by Rick Mather), will soon be enhanced with an interactive sculpture, A Gift of Flowers, inviting visitors to break
This image Colour sampling Jan van Huysum’s Vase With Flowers painting, which provided the inspiration
the ‘do not touch’ taboos of the typical cultural institute with its swooping and colourful form and multiple slides. Inspired by a bloom from Jan van Huysum’s Vase With Flowers, featured in DPG’s priceless collection, this bloom comprises petal-like forms made from reclaimed steel, sprayed in vibrant, weather-proof tones. The sculpture is the result of recent and ongoing collaboration
between the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) and the DPG, which has seen two temporary pavilions planted in the garden. The winning, interactive sculpture, emerging from an open competition, is by McCloy +Muchemwa with HoLD Collective and Cake Industries. The design team has worked
closely with local communities and groups to translate the sculpture
into a dynamic element within the gardens. It will reinvigorate a currently under-used part of our grounds,’ says Chantelle Culshaw, DPG’s deputy director, ‘encouraging sensory-led, playful interactions from people of all ages. The team have placed access at the forefront of their design… which will allow families to enjoy the sculpture for years to come.’
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