Pews & Perches design competition, London

Zombie bench
Zombie bench by emerging practice NEON
(Image credit: George King and Mark Nixon)
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We have always made it our mission at Wallpaper* to spotlight young design talent, so when the RIBA London approached us to partner in a design competition for architecture students, graduates and young practices, we signed up right away.

The competition, aptly named Pews & Perches, was launched at the end of 2011 to give the UK's young creative blood the chance to showcase their design prowess by creating a one-off bench. The results are currently being installed at the Royal Victoria Docks London Pleasure Gardens park - London's latest summertime venue and one of the 2012 London Festival of Architecture's key East London site.

With 'The Playful City' as its theme, the park will also include a number of architectural follies, hanging gardens, a pool and an oyster bar, which will remain open throughout the summer.

A total of 32 bench designs were selected and built, and with the opening day fast approaching, we couldn't resist paying a visit to the site to take it all in. The designs have been imaginative and varied, with benches made of everything from bamboo, straws, broom-handles and railway sleepers, to cast concrete and masterfully bent wood in bright colours.

Zombie bench

Zombie bench by emerging practice NEON

(Image credit: George King and Mark Nixon)

The Whistling

The Whistling Stop by Emma-Kate Matthews, who has completed Part 2 of her architecture degree at the Bartlett School of Architecture

(Image credit: Emma-Kate Matthews)

Bundle bench

Bundle bench by Bartlett Part 2 graduate Caroline Lundin

(Image credit: Bartlett)

Bundle bench

Bundle bench by Bartlett Part 2 graduate Caroline Lundin

(Image credit: Bartlett)

Architectural Association

Unknown pleasures by l-a-n-d-s, formed by Part 2 Architectural Association graduates George Barer and Tom Lea

(Image credit: George Barer and Tom Lea)

Architectural Association

Unknown pleasures by l-a-n-d-s, formed by Part 2 Architectural Association graduates George Barer and Tom Lea

(Image credit: George Barer and Tom Lea)

post bench

Fence post bench by year out student Tom Dobson (Part 1, Newcastle University)

(Image credit: Tom Dobson)

Railway sleeper bench

Railway sleeper bench by ReevesJonesStudio, an informal collaborative design studio set up by Part 2 Architectural Assistant Alex Reeves and London Metropolitan University Diploma graduate Henry Jones

(Image credit: ReevesJonesStudio)

Bamboo bench

Bamboo bench by James Bruce and Emma Carter, both Bartlett Part 1 graduates collaborating on design projects as CarterBruce

(Image credit: James Bruce and Emma Carter)

Pivoting bench

Pivoting bench by landscape architecture graduate Will Sandy

(Image credit: press)

garden bench

Herb garden bench by Part 1 year out student Will York

(Image credit: press)

Picnic perch

Picnic perch by London Metropolitan University Diploma student Holly Hayward

(Image credit: press)

Spinning Tree

Spinning Tree bench by London Metropolitan University Part 2 graduate, Zoe Berman

(Image credit: press)

Spinning Tree bench

Spinning Tree bench by London Metropolitan University Part 2 graduate, Zoe Berman

(Image credit: press)

Silhouette bench

Silhouette bench by year out students from University of Bath, Chris Paxton and Jack Minchella

(Image credit: Chris Paxton and Jack Minchella)

University of Sheffield

Untitled, by Part 1 year out student Robert Wilson, from the University of Sheffield

(Image credit: Robert Wilson)

Tea party bench

Tea party bench by Part I University of Sheffield graduates Emma Hyett and Lotte Hill

(Image credit: Emma Hyett and Lotte Hill)

University of Westminster

Untitled by University of Westminster Part 2 graduate Thomas O.Gray

(Image credit: Thomas O.Gray)

University of Westminster

Untitled by University of Westminster Part 2 graduate Thomas O.Gray

(Image credit: Thomas O.Gray)

Love seat

Log to Love seat by University of Edinburgh Part 1 graduate Joseph Bloor, founder of (ge-ril-a) architecture and design

(Image credit: Joseph Bloor)

design studio

Untitled by Sheffield Hallam University graduate Ollie Hemstock, who is currently setting up his own design studio

(Image credit: press)

Tube bench

Tube bench by University of Westminster first year student Young-il Kim

(Image credit: press)

Broomhandle bench

Broomhandle bench by London Metropolitan University graduate Paul Westwood

(Image credit: press)

architectural practice

Untitled by Innes Associates, a new architectural practice established by Simon Innes

(Image credit: press)

Tom Woods

Made of Money by Royal College of Art Part 2 graduate Chris Kennedy and product design graduate Tom Woods

(Image credit: press)

University of Brighton

Untitled by University of Brighton year out student Edward Grocott

(Image credit: press)

University of Brighton

Untitled by University of Brighton year out student Edward Grocott

(Image credit: press)

Flipping Drum bench

Flipping Drum bench by year out student Robert Johnson (Part 1, University of Sheffield)

(Image credit: press)

Jonathan Beeby

Untitled by year out student Jonathan Beeby (Part 1, Newcastle University)

(Image credit: Jonathan Beeby)

Newcastle University

Untitled by year out student Jonathan Beeby (Part 1, Newcastle University)

(Image credit: Jonathan Beeby)

the Bay by Aled Jones

Settle on the Bay by Aled Jones and Jason Skelton, both Part 1 year out students from the University of West of England

(Image credit: Aled Jones and Jason Skelton)

the Bay by Aled

Settle on the Bay by Aled Jones and Jason Skelton, both Part 1 year out students from the University of West of England

(Image credit: Aled Jones and Jason Skelton)

Queens University Belfast

Untitled, designed by a group of ten Queens University Belfast third year architecture students as part of a community project in Belfast

(Image credit: press)

Queens University Belfast

Untitled, designed by a group of ten Queens University Belfast third year architecture students as part of a community project in Belfast

(Image credit: press)

straw bench

Drinking straw bench by year out student Premma Makanji (Part 1 at University of Sheffield)

(Image credit: press)

art and architecture

The Picnic Podium by the Critical Architecture Network, an interdisciplinary art and architecture practice founded by two Part 2 graduates, Eddie Blake and Mat Barnes

(Image credit: press)

University of Greenwich graduate

Untitled, by Hidetaka Morinaga, Part 1 Architectural Assistant and University of Greenwich graduate

(Image credit: Hidetaka Morinaga)

See-saw bench

See-saw bench by NineteenEightyOne, a collaboration between Derek John Draper and Mark Swinburne

(Image credit: press)

the Bartlett School

Untitled by John, Juhyung Chun, currently studying for his Part 2 at the Bartlett School of Architecture

(Image credit: John, Juhyung Chun)

Bag bench

Bag bench by Heidi Day & Murtaza Rizvi, both Part 2 Cardiff University graduates

(Image credit: Heidi Day & Murtaza Rizvi)
Ellie Stathaki

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).

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