Wilcox Road Gateway

We have designed a series of six objects along the south side of the street, the first being a marker on the corner with Wandsworth Road that beckons pedestrians to follow the trail. They have been imagined as de-constructed pieces of traditional retail architecture, made from a combination of found objects. Each abstracted element fulfils a slightly different role, from swapping-library bookshelves to children’s games and reclining benches.

Our design proposal is structured around a small number of recurring themes and references that have been drawn from Wilcox Road, the Portuguese community, London retail and street traditions as well as the historic graphics of the London Underground. We sought to address the brief in regards to active community involvement in a way that is entirely inclusive, uses sustainable materials and addresses to carbon neutrality, longevity and budget. And most importantly, we have attempted to suggest an intervention that gives a degree of ownership to the community of retailers and shoppers that visit the street, whilst providing striking urban markers and places to convene and unwind, rather than pass on by.