The Old Kent Road area is home to nearly 1,000 businesses that are integral to London’s dynamic economy providing work for many of its residents, but big top down redevelopment plans threaten to completely shift the local economy from small local businesses to large shops and offices.

​

The proposal aims to preserve the essence of small businesses via the design of a market hall and workshop spaces as foundation blocks for a community led development centred around a courtyard typology and integrating these uses with communal and amenity spaces, evoking a solid robust appearance on the exterior, whilst on the inside creating a calm urban oasis away from the busy thoroughfare and a sense of disconnection from the outside world.