The City of London streets have received an extra splash of colour this summer, as kaleidoscopic art kiosks, created by Emily Forgot, land at Citypoint and Principal Place.
Workers are returning to the area, but there is naturally some apprehension. Do you want to spend the whole day locked inside your office? Or do you really miss some of the freedoms which come from working from home?
It’s time for the City of London to rethink itself. To redesign its public spaces to allow for more outdoor dining, seating and so forth. The days of eating lunch at our desks may be dead. Thank the gods!
That’s why these new public art installations are so great. They provide a colourful space for people to hang outdoors. Not only are they safe, but they are so much better for your mental health. We shouldn’t be locked up in our homes or offices all day long. We need free-to-access spaces where we can go to, when escaping the office life.
And Brookfield Properties (the property developer which owns Principal Place and Citypoint) is leading the way. They’ve commissioned Emily Forgot to create these bold pieces of public art. And they are perfectly situated right by a bunch of ever changing food trucks and pop up food stalls at both locations.
NOW READ: Where to watch Wimbledon 2021 in the City of London
This is the future of the City (at least we hope it is). A place where form and function marry perfectly together. Where people can take back their streets! This is especially true with the Summer DJ Sessions at CityPoint. Anyone can come down on Thursdays from 4 pm to 7 pm at CityPoint piazza to end their week in style, with food, drink and female party-starter DJ’s soundtracking their Thursday evenings. The first three female DJs will be Chloe Fontaine, Suki Rae and Emma Jensen. This is the kind of City we want to work in!
Both sets of installations at Citypoint and Principal Place form a powerful contrast with the monochrome buildings in the area, aiming to inspire optimism and playfulness after lockdown. Let’s just hope that this is but the beginning of something far greater – the reimagining of the Square Mile.
Let’s bring some more life to these streets which are currently lined with giant tower blocks and countless chain takeaway food joints. That’s not so inspiring. If workers are going to return in great swathes, let’s make that are more inviting – an colourful art kiosks aren’t a bad start.
Emily Forgot, said: “My collaged seating installation Bricolage at Principal Place is like an adult playground; it takes visual cues from coloured building blocks we play with as children, and I experimented with similar geometrical shapes to build seating arrangements. After sitting inside for so long I wanted to introduce the elements of fun and joy from childhood. My designs for the kiosks at Citypoint have a vibrant colour palette.
“They evolved from enclosed structures with walls, to structures without to celebrate breaking free from our confined spaces. Considering the Covid-restrictions for my designs, I have managed to create safe structures that still support the interactive and community element I find important. I would like people to come together and enjoy my installations feeling excited and free, discovering interesting ways to take a seat and socialise.”
