Location: Leyton, London

Stage: Competition

The neighbourhood around Leyton Midland Station is full of moments of delight and surprise that serve a dynamic and culturally diverse community. So in developing this competition entry to improve the railway underpass adjacent to the station, we naturally looked to the neighbourhood itself as the object of our interest. 

 

Inspired by a rich heritage of murals in the borough, our proposal was for a digitally drawn 3D aerial drawing that will capture and celebrate the neighbourhood in all its detail, enabling local people to take ownership and pride in the diversity and dynamism of their community. From Indian restaurants and Russian Supermarkets along the street, to tyre shops and builders merchants under the railway; from the roaming alpacas of Brooks Farm to the flower beds of Leyton Boundary Garden; from the Cricket Ground to the Host of Leyton; the canvas is imagined as a treasure map of the area.

We advocated engagement that will draw on the support of local residents, schools, businesses, and community organisations to uncover hidden gems and build a picture of the neighbourhood, where original drawings by local people themselves will be incorporated. As a cost effective digital print, the proposal would enable the community to create a programme of updates to the canvas, which can be renewed annually to reflect changes in the neighbourhood, making it a live archival project that records local history.

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Images by Studio JZ