Who Cares?
Window Displays across Brixton for London Festival of Architecture
For the 2021 edition of the London Festival of Architecture, AWMA collaborated Squire & Partners with architecture practice on 'Who Cares?’ - an installation in the windows of The Department Store which explored and showcased what care means to communities.
When LFA announced the theme of 'Care', it presented another opportunity to work together with local people on an installation which highlighted a collective response to how Care manifests itself in communities.
With COVID restrictions uncertain, we conceived a large-scale window display at The Department Store which could be enjoyed regardless of rules on indoor socialising - along with a wider plan to expand the installation into other venues locally. We wanted to explore and showcase the different ways people experience Care in their lives, and how COVID has affected the way people Care for themselves and others.
Taking inspiration from prayer flags - specifically Tanzaku paper wishes for the Japanese festival of Tanabata - we envisaged a series of suspended messages submitted by the local Brixton community in uplifting colours to spread love and good wishes.
Following initial digital modelling, hanging prototypes for different volumes of responses to spell out CARE within a colourful rainbow of messages were created. An important aspect was that the installation had minimal waste and made a legacy for the community after it was dismantled. Together we researched seed paper as a material, with a view to gifting the seed-infused messages to participating schools for planting once the festival was over.
