Fountain Roundabout. New Malden. Photography by Kes-tchaas Eccleston.
The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) has partnered with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames on an exciting new competition, inviting proposals for permanent public realm improvements to New Malden’s Fountain Roundabout and nearby pocket-park. Together, these will create a new visual focal point in New Malden that will act as a ‘gateway’ to the town centre. Designs should celebrate the town and its community, as well as create an inclusive and attractive green space.
Kingston Council has identified the need to improve the pedestrian environment, which is a frequently used entry point into the town centre for visitors, commuters and residents, while also enhancing the offering of green space and increasing biodiversity. This should create a beautiful, inspiring and accessible space for those who encounter it.
This competition forms an important part of the Council’s wider place-making strategy to support the creation of vibrant and thriving town centres. The judges are looking for proposals that celebrate the character of New Malden, its local context and heritage. In particular, they would like applicants to carefully consider the contemporary community through their design proposal.
Applicants are encouraged to use a co-design and community engaged approach in their proposals. Applicants should think about ways to make provision for community planting and ensure that the re-landscaped site can be maintained throughout seasons.
The six shortlisted teams will be announced in late May and will display their entries as part of LFA2023 in late June of this year.
Applicants are invited to submit their proposals by Midday, 11 May 2023.
VIEW THE OPEN CALL HERE (WORD)
Rosa Rogina, Director of the London Festival of Architecture, said:
“We’re so pleased to be working with the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames on this exciting competition in the vibrant town of New Malden. At LFA we’re keen to test ways of improving London’s public realm and green spaces – such as those around Fountain Roundabout.
“We can’t wait to see how applicants take a community led approach, making the site more people-focused, through their design proposals.”
Cllr Lesley Heap, New and Old Malden Neighbourhood Chair, said:
“New Malden is a unique place with a vibrant community, and this is a great opportunity for us to continue to celebrate the pride we feel in our town.
“Making our town centres more attractive is a key part of our work to regenerate our borough and support the local economy. Exciting plans like this one help us to improve our community spaces, and bring life into the town centre.
“I look forward to seeing the proposals that come out of this design process, and working with local representatives on bringing forward a successful scheme that we can all benefit from.”
