A competition winning entry for the London Festival of Architectures Pews and Perches 2024. The competition sought proposals that “creatively embrace explore and test circular economy principles” for a series of sites around London’s Historic Royal Docks.

The proposal, ‘Submarine Cables’ is based on historical analysis of the Silvertown area, which even through its very name, has a strong connection with the manufacturing, laying and repair of submarine cable. This cable, which connected people and places, was laid across the globe by boats originating from this little corner of London.

The main shape of the bench is a wave-like form thereby evoking water and the sites nautical history. The historic submarine cables are referenced by the rope which is woven and looped around the rising and falling linear sections and which forms the seats.

The legs of the bench which rise from the ground along a central axis reaching outward to meet the main frame of the bench, give the form of the hull of a ship.

The seat of the bench is formed of six sections of woven cable in several shades of blue and grey selected to suggest the colours and tones of moving water.

The bench will be installed at the Royal Docks Floating Gardens in May 2024.