The Hope in the Square competition, organised by New London Architecture and Southwark Council, invited architects, designers, artists and creative teams to propose innovative solutions for a new green space that celebrates youth and community in the heart of Peckham.
The scheme is part of a headline-grabbing wider revamp of the area around Will Alsop’s Stirling Prize-winning Peckham Library, which will see the controversial removal of the 1990s Peckham Arch.
The finalists are:
Nurturing Hope by Bafalw with Errol Reuben Fernandes
Wellspring by C-ENNA
The Garden of Hope by Godfried Donkor + millimetre
Living Hope by Living Bankside
Braid Garden by Rebecca Markus x Erika Wei
We Grow Here by Studio Bristow.
The Hope in the Square project will reimagine the square’s ‘garden zone’, delivering a new ‘dynamic and vibrant’ feature that will honour the legacy of the local schoolboy Damilola Taylor, who was murdered aged 10, and the work of his family and the Hope Collective, which was formed originally to support the 20th anniversary legacy campaign for Damilola Taylor.
The aim is to create a permanent, garden-like space that fosters reflection, positivity, and community engagement.
Peckham Square, created in the early 1990s, is a prominent civic space in the centre of Peckham surrounded by landmarks such as Aslop & Störmer’s Stirling Prize-winning Peckham Library and Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre.
The square is undergoing a £7 million redevelopment as part of the Southwark Stands Together flagship programme, aiming to create a vibrant, inclusive, and accessible meeting place for local residents and visitors.
Proposals for Peckham Square drawn up by Graeme Massie Architects and Scott Whitby Studio are expected to be submitted for planning later this year following a testing of the scheme’s costs. The plans include the removal of John McAslan’s Peckham Arch, a 35m canopy structure which has sat at the entrance to the square since 1994.
Proposals for the new garden were required to deliver a visually striking and engaging green space; respond to the local context and neighbourhood; and be inclusive and welcoming to people of all ages, especially young people.
Concepts were also required to reflect the cultural heritage and diversity of Peckham; be informed by the voices and perspectives of local youth groups; and exemplify inclusivity, sustainability, and minimal maintenance requirements.
The shortlisted teams will each receive an honorarium of £1,500 to develop their concepts further. The overall winner, to be announced on 7 December, will receive a budget of up to £100,000 to develop and deliver the final design next year.
Peckham Library at night
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