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Windrush Square, Brixton - news and discussion

Well what a mess. Cover it up with a couple of tents and a tiny stage... its hard to tell what all the fuss is about.

So this is the *big development* that we've waited for. A bit of new paving and a few bolted-down seats. Whoopdedoo. I seriously expected something with a bit more substance.
 
Video still processing, I'm off to bed. Give the video 10 minutes or so. It's only 2 minutes long. Enjoy. We stayed for about 45 minutes total and tried not to end up with too much 'samey' stuff but when there's not much going on you don't have a lot of choice.



Anyone recognise themselves?
 
Ah, so thats what it was...
4231762834_55f7717f3c.jpg
... I hadn't actually noticed it there today (as you would expect to notice monumental sculpture) but spotted some tall things from the bus on the way home from Khans later.

So the green part of the new square is not going to be always fenced off I hope? Why was it fenced off today I wonder?
 
There was some sort of contraption rigged up in the grassy bit - it looked like some sort of catherine wheel/fireworks thingy, which was probably part of the childrens procession later in the day. I recall something about a 'spectacular Phoenix' being part of it and I can't think what else it might have been for. There were about 8 security guys - and one fire extinguisher - loitering around that particular area as well as lots of plod.
 
ajdown said:
To be fair, the grass area was barriered off, presumably to do with the thing that looked like a big catherine wheel, which was probably part of the kid's procession today. It'll be interesting to see what state it's in after a week though.

My concern is simply the same one I've had all along - the seats are pleasant enough, we spent some time sitting in them watching the world go by this afternoon - but once the career alcoholics move back in and take over, and the drug dealers have settled their patches, it'll end up going back to a "no go" area for the average Brixton resident.
Click to expand...

It was never a no go area!

I wouldn't criticize anyone who was afraid to walk through the square before - cos they might have their own good reasons to be afraid - but I certainly don't think the average Brixton resident would have thought twice about walking through!

"Career alcoholics" is a pretty nasty turn of phrase too.
 
It's just a shame about the damn noise and air pollution from the road.

Jesus did this society ever get it wrong allowing the motor industry and drivers to take control.
 
miss minnie said:
Ah, I see. Did anyone see the display then?
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What, you aren't subscribing to my exciting new social media coverage:

me twittering yesterday said:
Back from second launch of Windrush Square (Boris + VIPs got sneak preview yesterday). Emergency Exit Arts phoenix was fab...

... but the human Catherine Wheel was a bit of a damp squib. Lots of Brixton kids in procession from lantern making workshops.

Having to put marquee and stalls across main desire lines suggests GrossMax new "magazine architecture" layout of WIndrush square not ideal?
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Ah, twitter, I see. ;)

"Having to put marquee and stalls across main desire lines suggests GrossMax new "magazine architecture" layout of WIndrush square not ideal?"

Yes, that's what I thought... the big launch was a good opportunity to show just how stunningly well the design accommodates events... or not as the case may be.

Closing half the square off all day for a firework seemed a bit counter productive.
 
I've posted up some photos and a few thoughts from Saturday over here.

In short:

Politicians only event on Friday was poor. Public event on Saturday was great. Not so sure about the geography of the square itself. Time will tell as to how the public use it, if at all.
 
ajdown said:
Video still processing, I'm off to bed. Give the video 10 minutes or so. It's only 2 minutes long. Enjoy. We stayed for about 45 minutes total and tried not to end up with too much 'samey' stuff but when there's not much going on you don't have a lot of choice.



Anyone recognise themselves?
Click to expand...


nice one AJdown. also saw the Battle for Brixton is on youtube now as well
 
editor said:
I went down today. It's awful. There's no lawn, no gardens, no flowers - just a vast, bleak expanse of stone and concrete. It looks like a landscaped supermarket car park.
Click to expand...

I agree. The reason its like this is because it incorporates the principles of "Secured by Design".

"Public consultation was carried out in 2005 and showed that the
community was keen to see the area developed into a safer and
more secure place to be at all times of the day. The local police
and Lambeth Council were active in the design development of
the square to ensure that these concerns were addressed.
The open design of the square will mean that anyone walking
through it can see who is in the area and what they are doing.
Combined with carefully placed CCTV cameras and improved
lighting, this will enhance the feeling of security".

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/corporate/Transforming-Brixton-Town-Centre-Phase-Three.pdf

Secured by Design http://www.securedbydesign.com/ means that Police now have a large say in how public projects like this end up. Thats why the square has ended up looking like a car park.
 
Jonti said:
No it doesn't.

And the less time is given to respond to the tender, the greater will be the disadvantage faced by the traders' new brixton market management community interest company, compared to firms already up and running markets :mad:

I'll find out if the invitations to tender have gone out, and let you know, one way or the other.
Click to expand...

Am i right in saying that they have decided that there will be a market in the square but it's not decided which market it will be/who will be running it? :confused:
 
We actually ended up taking part in the lantern procession. At 5 weeks gaijinbaby was certainly the youngest participant - her lantern is now hanging up at home. We very much enjoyed it. (Tricky we must have somehow missed you.... :() We also saw some good Portuguese folk dancing. I thought the phoenix was pretty damn good!! Also the lovely mayor gave a good attempt at a rousing speech - but I have a soft spot for him anyway..... :D
 
IIRC, the design calls those things windrushes, explicitly after the plant of the same name, which of course doesn't exist
 
I have to say that I thought it was a complete joke when I passed it on the bus earlier today. It just looked like a paved area with different colours on the floor, like a play mat.

Perhaps it's more exciting when the weather's nicer or something.
 
FridgeMagnet said:
I have to say that I thought it was a complete joke when I passed it on the bus earlier today. It just looked like a paved area with different colours on the floor, like a play mat.

Perhaps it's more exciting when the weather's nicer or something.
Click to expand...

It looked a lot better on Saturday night when it was all lit up. They have lights recessed into the paving as well.
 
I too some photos yesterday which I'll post up later. It looked even bleaker the day after opening.
 
It's really failing to grow on me. It looks particularly boring and desolate at night.

The thing doesn't seem to hang together as a whole. Everything seems a bit broken up and spaced, things scattered around the edges with little coherence. It lacks something to bring it together - it feels like a largely featureless stride across several varieties of floor covering and little more atm

It doesn't seem a well laid out space for events or a market either really. Needless to say the last minute bodges and obvious lack of planning regarding the the tender for more traders really grates as well.
 
The part furthest from the library works best - it's actually got grass and trees! - but for the greater part, people are just treating the square and its vast open space as a shortcut.

I would have preferred it if they'd spent a little less on all that posh flooring and metal mobile masts windrush sculpture and spent the money on gardens and plants and employed a warden to look after the place.
 
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