City Blocks (2019) by Astrain Studio is an award-winning street furniture installation, originally commissioned by London Festival of Architecture. It was curated by Futurecity for Almacantar, development company behind the rejuvenation of St. Giles Square, a major new public space adjacent to the iconic Centre Point building, where City Blocks was sited from September 2019 to January 2020.
The artwork brief for the first installations in St. Giles Square’s art programme was to have pieces that were original and playful, which would invite passers-by’s to take a moment to sit and enjoy the square. Following a selection process with Almacantar, the two chosen artworks – City Blocks and Whippet Good by Delve Architects, which were sited in the square at the same time – reflected a sense of calm and greenery, and embodied an invitation to slow down and relax in an urban oasis. Both installations were two of the five winners of the City Benches competition for London Festival of Architecture, chosen from nearly 100 entries by a group of judges including Ellie Stathaki, Wallpaper* architecture editor.
Inspired by children’s play blocks, City Blocks are a set of colourful benches clad in tiles. With plants embedded, they create an urban oasis at the heart of the city. These modular interlocking geometric structures are tiled to help establish a human domestic scale within an outdoor setting.
