Pews and Perches 2024 , London / Vereinigtes Königreich

 

London Festival of Architecture (LFA)

Royal Docks Team (RDT)

 

The London Festival of Architecture and the Royal Docks Team have launched the fifth and final edition of the Pews and Perches design competition, which will see six bespoke public benches delivered throughout the Royal Docks in 2024.

 

The competition is open to architecture and design students, recent graduates and emerging practitioners who are invited to deliver bench proposals that explore creative ways to use and reuse materials and take inspiration from the Royal Docks, its proximity to the water and the communities who live there.

 

Following the Mayor of London’s vision of London transitioning to a circular economy set out in the draft London Plan earlier this year, proposals should creatively embrace, explore and test circular economy principles in their design. Designers can respond to this prompt in a variety of ways and push the boundaries of flexible or adaptive design. What are the past or future lives of a bench’s materials? Designers are encouraged to re-think ‘waste’ as ‘resource’ (re)use local materials creatively in the bench designs.

 

A variety of potential locations across the Royal Docks have been selected for the Pews and Perches. These are areas where there is significant scope for public realm enhancement or seating provision:

1. The Factory Project

2. London Design & Engineering UTC College

3. Connaught Crossing (North Side)

4. Connaught Crossing (South Side)

5. Thames Barrier Park

6. UEL (West of Sir Steve Redgrave Bridge)

7. North Woolwich Road

 

The locations above are subject to final landowner approval. Seven suggested locations are included however, only six sites will be chosen depending on landowner approval and bench designs.

 

Submission deadline: November 21, 2023