Poured Lines covering Bankside, London

When I was in graduate school, I lived in Camberwell, in South London. Many Sundays started with coffee, a croissant and then lunch at Borough Market, and fortified, the day usually then led to a meandering through South neighborhoods - Borough, Bankside, Bermondsey. Ignorance can be such a wonderful thing. Most of my friends, who lived in North London were horrified that I would be wandering through Bermondsey, but quite honestly, these areas along the river were where old industrial London could still be detected - not unlike the Dumbo waterfront. And it was quite beautiful with the old Victorian structures.

Because I have this appreciation of the bones of the neighborhood, I was pleased to see that Southwark Council, the local authority, has commissioned a public art piece - Poured Lines by Ian Davenport, Turner Prize recipient in 1991 - that will span 165 feet (50 meters) long under a noisy railway bridge. One might think that 300,000 pounds could best be spent elsewhere. Perhaps, but beautifing the thoroughfares beneath these bridges will do a lot to connect the disparate communities in South London. Like most underserved communities, it is easiest to travel by foot, bike or bus here, no Underground.

the artist's blow-by-blow of this ambitious piece

Evening Standard report

London Times on other closeby South London design happenings

All via Archinect