Team selected for public art commission

Southwark Council has chosen a creative design team to prepare a public art and lighting scheme for the Old Kent Road Railway Bridge.

In May, the call went out for a design team to work on a public art commission at the Old Kent Road Railway Bridge.

This week, the council announced that local creatives, Yinka Danmole, Halina Edwards and Peter Hudson have been selected for the project.

The brief was to create an inspiring piece of art, representative of the local community, of which local people and businesses could feel proud. The brief also stipulated that new lighting for the bridge should be incorporated into the design.

The council received more than 40 proposals for this project – four of which were shortlisted. After much consideration, Yinka, Halina and Peter’s ‘Home from Home’ proposal was chosen from the shortlist.

All three designers have local ties to Old Kent Road and were chosen for a concept that combines collage with coloured lighting.

Inspired by Polish artist, Adam Kossowski’s 1965 mural, which depicts the history of Old Kent Road, the team wanted to create a contemporary counterpart – one that celebrates the complex intersections of those communities that represent Old Kent Road as it is today.

This project is being funded through the Government’s Future High Street Fund and the council will also carry out its own repairs to the bridge at the same time as the artwork is installed.

Refurbishing the bridge is a key component of the council’s broader plan to revitalise Old Kent Road as a neighbourhood high street.

The design team will work with pupils from Kender Primary School and residents from Harry Lamborn House to further develop their winning proposal. They will also work with the wider community in the area through a series of supper clubs starting in the autumn.

The project is due to complete in the spring, next year (2024)

Read more about the selected ‘Home from Home’ proposal (PDF)

See the other three shortlisted proposals

Team OKRB (PDF)

Yoni Alter and team (PDF)

Aphra Shemza and team(PDF)