Markhouse Corner Public Realm Improvements
Project
Markhouse Corner Public Art
Client
Waltham Forest Council
Location
Leyton, East London
Markhouse Corner Public Realm Improvement Project
Over the past year, the London Borough of Waltham Forest has been collaborating with a design team to develop and implement a Design Strategy aimed at enhancing the public realm around Markhouse Corner, the junction of Markhouse Road, Church Road, and Lea Bridge Road. This strategy outlines opportunities for greening, public realm improvements, and public art installations across three key areas in Markhouse Corner. To ensure the community's voice is central to this project, Waltham Forest commissioned Beyond The Box to creatively gather feedback, ideas, and insights from local residents and businesses. Our goal was to engage the community in planning and built environment discussions using innovative digital tools.
Young Cultural Producers
We partnered with young cultural producers to deliver various aspects of this project. Their involvement culminated in a VR Experience Day at the People’s Pavilion, where they co-facilitated storytelling engagement workshops at Lea Bridge Library, with one session specifically for young residents. These workshops aimed to celebrate local heritage and the rich cultural diversity of the area. Participants brought objects and items to the sessions, which we captured using digital 3D photography.
Business Engagement
We also engaged with local businesses through one-on-one conversations, creating digital illustration storyboards based on these discussions (as seen below). These storyboards were uploaded to our online portal, serving as a catalyst for further community engagement. Residents could explore their local history, share stories and memories, and propose ideas for public art.
Virtual Reality Experience Day
All the collected insights culminated in a Virtual Reality Experience Day at the People’s Pavilion Festival at Lea Bridge Library. This event allowed the community to engage with the digital collections we had created and contribute to shaping the artist brief for future public art installations at Markhouse Corner.
Pop-up Workshop
A third workshop was held at Markhouse Corner, targeting younger children and families. Using iPads, participants were invited to draw their ideas digitally with pen styluses and sketchbooks, fostering creativity and engagement with the project.