Hope in the Square

The NLA and Southwark Council are proud to announce the new design competition ‘Hope in the Square’. As part of the council’s flagship scheme for the redevelopment of Peckham Square, this competition is looking for creatives to design and deliver a garden-like area that celebrates youth. The key objective of this competition is to create a unique meeting place within the square for young people and local communities to gather and reflect, take a positive look towards the future and honour Peckham’s past to build on Damilola Taylor’s legacy and the work of his family as well as the Hope Collective.

Competition Details

The competition invites architects, designers, artists and other creatives to submit design concepts that will reimagine and develop the ‘Gardens’ area of the square into a safe, accessible and inclusive space. Entries should propose a creative design solution for a dynamic and vibrant feature that will not only invite engagement from local communities and contribute visually to Peckham Square but will also celebrate the voices of young people.

Once submissions are closed, up to six shortlisted practices will then be invited to develop a design and will be awarded an honorarium of £1,500 + VAT each.

Revitalisation with the community at heart

Originally designed in the early 1990s, Peckham Square is a civic space in the borough and continues to be a key part of the local area. As part of the Southwark Stands Together flagship programme, Southwark Council are redeveloping Peckham Square, transforming it into a new civic space that residents can take pride in. The much-loved square is surrounded by key local landmarks, including the Stirling Prize-winning Peckham Library, Peckham Pulse Leisure Centre, and the world-renowned Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, and will also host the local arts charity, Peckham Platform.

This £7 million flagship project is well underway. Architects have been appointed to develop designs in collaboration with the community. The final designs will be shared with residents later this month, before a planning application is submitted this summer.

‘Hope in the Square’ will become a permanent part of the Peckham Square upgrades and is expected to be in place for a minimum of 15 – 20 years. With collaboration expected between the winning team and the local community, this competition gives creatives a real opportunity to leave a legacy in the borough.

Rosa Rogina, Head of Collaborate at NLA, said: “We’re thrilled to be working on such an important project with Southwark Council. This competition offers an opportunity to enact a meaningful impact on the local area, with its residents, and an incredibly important cause front and centre. We’re honoured to be playing a part in this public space, and we’re looking forward to seeing the submissions”.

Councillor Portia Mwangangye, Cabinet Member for Leisure, Parks and Young People, said:  "Peckham Square is a vibrant hub for local people, so we are excited to be reaching this milestone. Through this competition, we want to create a welcoming feature in the space that celebrates the creativity of our young people, while honouring the legacy of Damilola Taylor and the work of his family. We’re excited to invite designers and artists to work with us and our residents to help shape a space that brings hope and connection for many years to come. The inclusive garden-like area is part of plans to revitalise Peckham Square, ensuring it continues to act as a focus for the community in the years ahead”.

Hope Collective Chair Professor, Niven Rennie, said: "Our legacy campaign for Damilola Taylor has reached over 4,000 young people in the last 4 years, none of whom were born when Damilola was taken so cruelly and so young. We are delighted to be a part of this wonderful memorial project and are excited to see the progress being made"

Damilola Taylor Trust CEO, Gary Trowsdale, said:  "It is wonderful to see this project coming to fruition. We truly appreciate the effort of all partners in reaching this point.

The deadline for submissions is Thursday 14^th August, with the winner expected to be announced in October 2025.