Street Jewellery
As an area of London that has developed around an important railway interchange at the junction of the boroughs of Islington, Haringey and Hackney the spaces that have arisen for public use in Finsbury Park seem almost entirely spaces of transition, of moving from point A to point B. A space of necessities but not of possibilities.
Split between these three different local councils the area did not become a meeting hub of action of those three entities but rather a territory of withdrawal where none of the councils appears to have taken ownership.
This leaves the site in an overlooked position whereby members of the public are powerful actors in making adaptations to the cityscape.
Street Jewellery – Like jewellery, the pieces are not necessary, they only highlight a body part. The social commoning lies in the action itself. It’s about resurrecting objects, corners, pieces by adding an element of fun. The exact goal of each project is defined by its inventor: as designers, we do not know what people want, but as individuals, we know what we want. This collection of objects is only a starting point, to change and everyone should be able to participate. Some projects won’t last, some won’t be noticed, some will be stolen, some will be removed, but this is part of the game. Hopefully, a piece will make someone laugh on the way back home, become a local landmark, or a place to meet. Some of them might initiate steps towards a bigger impact; drawing attention and discussion around local spaces in the city that are undergoing change in a visible way. Or they could just start a conversation; after all who knows why there's a shimmering curtain around the traffic island.
NESS LAFOY
Having studied architecture at The Bartlett in London, Ness is currently working as a part 1 in a London office whilst dreaming of what the role of the architect could become in the future.
JOSH STEVENSON
After studying architecture, Josh is currently working as a part 1 in a London office and lives in North London
WILL VERITY
Having graduated from BA Product Design at Central Saint Martins in 2014, he now works at a London-based design studio. Will has a multidisciplinary approach to design using a combination of narrative, scale and innovation to question the role that objects can play in our lives.
PAULINE MARCOMBE
Working as an architect in London, but having worked and studied in France and the Netherlands previously, Pauline also lives in North London.
