Folding stalls help promote Carnaval del Pueblo
30 Jun 2016
Folding stalls for London Market
Installations created by architecture students, used to promote Carnaval del Pueblo in London’s East Street Market, have featured in this year’s London Festival of Architecture 2016.
The installations, including a stall of interactive games and a cocktail-making machine, were the result of a competition set by architecture lecturers Pedro Gil and Christo Meyer, who are also founders of London-based Studio Gil.
This ‘Live Project’, required students to research Carnaval del Pueblo (organisers of Latin American Carnivals and festivals) and the Latin American community in Elephant and Castle. The students’ research enabled them to design installations for the weekly East Street Market, one of London's oldest markets.
Pedro said, “we actively try and create as many projects as possible which bring academia and architecture practice together. It’s really important to give students the opportunity to work on real-world projects, with real stakeholders and clients. This gives them a head start in the world of work.
“The project was challenging, as we asked second and third year students to design the installations to fit into a small space and these had to be safe as they were in a public domain. We were really pleased with their creative ideas.
“We chose two of the students’ projects to be erected as part of the festival. The first, by student Josh Dobson, was designed to distribute information about Carnaval del Pueblo. It was painted orange and two shades of yellow to stand out in the market. The second installation was James Goreings' pink- and blue-painted structure, which makes Brazilian Caipirinhas cocktails.”
The live installations are an extension of a long-running partnership between Studio Gil and Carnaval del Pueblo. Together they have curated a series of events called The Latin Corridor, as part of RIBA's Open Studios initiative for the London Festival of Architecture, a month-long programme of events and installations in the capital.
Pedro said: "The project was seen as threefold in its outcomes: as a learning device for architectural students, to promote Carnaval del Pueblo's work, and to celebrate the vibrancy of East Street market."
