Built with the students at the local UTC college of design and engineering as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2022.
A Cautionary Bench/Mark is built from reclaimed materials and is set on two levels. The lower bench invites passers-by to sit and reflect on the individual and collective actions that will lead to its higher level looming 2.6m above - the water level expected during a severe tidal storm in 2030.
The red gradient of the bench, reminiscent of a change in colour caused by cumulative water level marks and highlighting the increasing risk, reinforces the urgency to act on the climate crisis now or never.
The language of the bench borrows from neighbouring maritime infrastructure design around the Royal Docks, using standard metal pipe connections that will allow it to be easily disassembled and re-used for a third time in UTC student projects.
Photography by Luke O'Donovan.
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