The ‘world’s first moveable town square’

On wheels, if you ask civic ideas agency Spacemakers.

Designers Studio Kieren Jones and Studio Hato were commissioned to create what Spacemakers terms‘the world’s first mobile town square’, aiming to highlight the lack of space in Cricklewood, North London.

Kieren Jones says, ‘Cricklewood has a thriving community, but no space for this community to exist. In a way, I hope this playful solution can be the town hall that Cricklewood never had’.

The town square, unlike its permanent, concrete relatives, will be travelling around the area as a live installation, wheeling about on a rickshaw bike.

Everything needed for a fully functioning town square will be included in the installation, including benches, stools, a clock tower, games and signage.  

The furniture has been created with materials from Cricklewood-based suppliers, while the clock tower references a former clock factory based in the area.

Studio Hato created the graphics and signage for the square, using a bespoke typeface based on that used for British transport signage across the UK.

Cricklewood residents can expect to see the square popping up in disused patches of land across the capital throughout September, bringing a little bit of community to forgotten spaces.

There will also be a number of events taking place around the square, including a dog show, signage workshop, chess tournament and film screenings.

Project director Tom James says, ‘Our project is all about giving local people permission to sit, rest, play and meet in these spaces. This free, public space, open to everyone, is vital to making any place feel like a real community.’

He adds, ‘We hope to use this project to get an idea into Cricklewood, to set a precedent that local people can use to help them work towards a permanent public space’.

Cricklewood Town Square will be travelling around the area until 28 September. For full dates and programme visit www.cricklewoodtownsquare.com/events. It will also be  featured in the RIBA Forgotten Spaces exhibition at Somerset House, running 4 October – 10 November.