REINVIGORATE – ELEPHANT PARK 

Ash Avenue and Sayer Street are part of the Elephant Park masterplan, a £2.3 billion regeneration programme on 28 acres of land in the centre of Elephant & Castle, creating an exciting place to live, work and spend time. As concept designers for a number of retail and public space projects across the site, we drew up designs for two key areas of the public realm: Ash Avenue, the main community and retail thoroughfare at the heart of the site, as well as crafting a meanwhile public space and the redesigning of shopfronts along Sayer Street.

Ash Avenue stretches the length of a new public park created at the heart of the development. Trees surrounding the park, avenue and redevelopment were retained during the demolition process, leaving mature species of ash and other native species dotted across the area, providing a link to a historic part of the site’s history. The design sees a large pedestrianised area with a zigzag edge to allow meandering and pause points, breaking down the perception of the edge of the park to bring it into the restaurant terraces that line the route. A key consideration for shopfronts on this stretch north of Elephant Park was to create interest and allow clear views whilst integrating with the design of external areas. Shopfronts have been designed to reflect human scale whilst framing the interior and drawing the eye. At Sayer Street, designs reuse the currently vacant 4m wide area on the street’s eastern side, providing a valuable space for local residents, creating a new ‘Living Room’, which provides places for relaxing and socialising.

The installation of new Maker Spaces alongside the seating has given over new space for local creatives, small businesses and stars, with new community radio, urban garden, shopping and art studio.