Tenderstream members through to next stage of contest with ‘River of Words’ concept

Tenderstream member Gustafson Porter + Bowman is part of one of the teams shortlisted for the competition to improve the public realm underneath the Falcon Road Bridge in Battersea, London. For the proposal ‘River of Words’, the firm collaborated with fellow Tenderstream member Arup alongside Flanagan Lawrence, Social Place, Expedition, Light Follows Behaviour, Mo Almedia and Mark & Theo Chaudoir. The London Festival of Architecture and Wandsworth Council launched the contest to find designers for an artistic intervention that simplifies wayfinding and celebrates the local area’s character. 

The ‘River of Words’ landscape concept is influenced by the former Falcon River which flowed through the site close to the location of the current underpass. The design’s flowing forms are reminiscent not only of the river, but also reflect pedestrian movement across and through the site. In this welcoming space, Falcon Terrace is reimagined as a public plaza framed with benches and flowering trees. For the northern side of Falcon Road, the team propose to paint flowing lines of blue hues recalling the river. These lines run throughout the public space, marking the entrance and accentuating the newly clad tunnel with its changing light.  

As commuters move through the tunnel, they will encounter waves of phrases, words, and stories that flow in the direction of the historic brook and mirror the motion of water — letters expanding and contracting in waves, phrases rippling across the wall, and words appearing and fading. Each section of the tunnel will be dedicated to themes that resonate with, and are informed by, the residents of the borough.

All seven shortlisted concepts can be viewed here. The designs ‘A Gift to the Passers By’ and ‘Tales of Our Tracks’ also include Tenderstream member Arup as part of the design team.

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

This tender was first published by Tenderstream on 05.08.2024 here

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