Annual Christmas decoration project took pandemic as its theme
Squire & Partners has switched on its fourth annual Winter Windows installation designed by local schoolchildren.
The neon signs will be displayed in the windows of the architect’s self-designed offices in Brixton, The Department Store, until late January.
The designs, telling a story about coronavirus – what has been lost and gained and hopes for the future – were designed by five Year 13 students from Elm Green and Norwood secondary schools.
In previous years Squires has worked with younger children but this year wanted to address the acute lack of opportunity for young people during the pandemic.
In a series of socially distanced and bubble-friendly workshops backed up with online tutorials, architects from Squire & Partners worked with Brixton community organisation We Rise and five 17- to 18-year-olds to develop new skills in creative collaboration, design, software, making, wiring and visual display.
Early-stage designs were refined before being drawn up on SketchUp and Rhino, cut by CNC in the practice’s modelshop and then assembled, wired and tested by the students.
Squires partner Tim Gledstone said: “Our annual Winter Windows installation took a different turn in 2020, offering the gift of opportunity to five young people about to leave school and embark on their future at a challenging time.
“The students were able to learn about creative process from concept through to completion and combine timeless analogue design with cutting-edge digital skills.
“他们为项目带来了远见和活力，随着他们在设计和交付一个活生生的项目方面发展了一系列知识，他们的信心也在增长。
“在整个12月和1月，最终的装置为当地布里克斯顿社区创造了一个令人振奋的艺术作品，并将是一个强有力的组合作品，以支持他们的未来目标——通过展示主动性、协作、技能和组合展示stopper打开与雇主的大门。”
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