Participatory Design

Muddassir Haque Devansh Jain

NAME OF FIRM: ASSEMBLE STUDIO
FOUNDERS : FRAN EDGERLEY, PALOMA STRELITZ
ASSEMBLE STUDIO Founded in 2010 is a multi-
disciplinary collective working across architecture,
design and art that undertook a single self-built project,
Assemble has since delivered a diverse and award-
winning body of work, whilst retaining a democratic
and co-operative working method that enables built,
social and research-based work at a variety of scales,
both making things and making things happen.
Assemble is a workspace provider for designers,
fabricators and artists. We design, build and manage
workspace and shared workshop facilities with the aim
to enable and support collaboration across disciplines.
• On the face of it, the changes made aren’t
show-stoppers. The most notable addition to
passers-by is a shiny new clock tower , a twee
timber structure clad in tin can scales embossed
by residents and supported by stilts with a clock
abutting atop. The tin cladding stands out in the
local visual context but has particular historical
resonance , Bermondsey is the birthplace of the
tin can, with the first being produced during the
19th century. A more subtle change is the new
timber bollards that have replaced concrete ones
and been pushed closer to the street,
allowing more space for traders. The concrete
from the others hasn’t been wasted, instead, it
has been stained red and reused for seating.
The refurbished market can now accommodate
36 stalls. It’s a far cry from the 200 that were
once here, but it’s a better foundation for growth
as the market looks to become a
genuine community hub again.
• The tower is the central focal point of
Bermondsey’s market, flanked on either
side by Oak-framed canopies that provide
shelter to potential traders. Better electrical
services for stalls have been provided, too.
Prior to this, the market’s infrastructure was
severely lacking. “Nothing was working on
the market
What if there would be a market that would engage and interact with
its visitors to revive its old glory?