To celebrate the opening of Marlborough Sports Garden, officially opened by Olympic gold medallist Tom Daley, CONCRETE introduced Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST) to the London Festival of Architecture, creating a strategic partnership that transformed the newly opened park into a vibrant cultural destination.

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CONCRETE curated, branded and delivered Extraordinary Women of SE1, a placemaking campaign centred around the London Festival of Architecture's Interpreted Identities design challenge. Bringing together leading architects, designers and internationally recognised public artists, we invited each participant to interpret the legacy of an extraordinary woman or cultural figure connected to Bankside through a series of immersive public installations.

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The campaign celebrated Mary Wollstonecraft, Fanny Wilkinson, P.J. Harvey, Mary Shelley, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Annie Besant, Bella Burge, James Barry, Women Like Alice and Octavia Hill, interpreted by Foundry & Bottle, Stephen Kavanagh Architects, Forge Architects, internationally recognised public artists The DNA Factory, Inside Out Architecture, One Works, Aros Architects, PRP, RCKa and Cove Burgess.

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Each installation was designed to be experienced rather than simply observed. Visitors could sit, swing, shelter, pause, meet friends and immerse themselves in the stories behind each extraordinary individual. Together the installations transformed Marlborough Sports Garden into an interactive outdoor gallery where architecture, public art, storytelling and community came together.

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Originally commissioned as a month long exhibition for the London Festival of Architecture, the installations proved so successful that they remained in the park for more than a year, extending their reach and community impact.

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The campaign also introduced Lendlease to Bankside Open Spaces Trust, creating a valuable relationship between one of London's leading developers and the local charity. Alongside the exhibition, Pixel Hût 3.0, designed by HUT Architecture, became a permanent feature within Marlborough Sports Garden, ensuring the project left a lasting legacy for the community.

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The campaign generated significant public engagement and media coverage, including the Evening Standard, while raising awareness of BOST, increasing footfall to Marlborough Sports Garden and demonstrating how strategic placemaking can connect heritage, culture, business and community.

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