Reclaimed, London Festival of Architecture

London Festival Architecture RIBA tent installation

Reclaimed is an immersive installation presented at the London Festival of Architecture. The project explores contrasting forms of power in the city.

Concept

Architecture often dictates how we move, gather, and interact. It frames social behaviour through proportion, order, and symbolism. Reclaimed responds to this condition by deliberately disrupting spatial control.

Instead of reinforcing architectural authority, the installation introduces uncertainty. It removes predictability. It invites visitors to renegotiate their position within the space and with each other.

Through this shift, the project reframes power as something shared rather than imposed.

Spatial Experience

Reclaimed transforms the gallery into an intimate and collective environment. The space no longer behaves as originally intended. Instead, it becomes flexible, informal, and open to interpretation.

As visitors enter, they lose the sense of a prescribed path. The installation encourages pause, conversation, and shared occupation. People experience the space together rather than as isolated observers.

This loss of control becomes a design strategy. It allows the room to operate as a social platform rather than a static container.

Public Engagement

By repurposing the gallery, Reclaimed creates a setting for reflection and exchange. The installation brings people together and encourages discussion about ownership, agency, and positive change in the city.

Rather than presenting answers, the project opens a dialogue. It asks how cities might support collective action. It also questions how architecture can enable participation rather than dominance.

Outcome

Reclaimed proposes a shift in architectural thinking. It moves away from control and towards shared experience. The installation demonstrates how spatial design can foster inclusivity, dialogue, and civic engagement.

Through intimacy and collective presence, the project reimagines the gallery as a space of possibility. It shows how architecture can support the reclaiming of the city through people, not power.

Immersive installation at London Festival of Architecture

Festival & Context

Urban Theory & Public Space

Exhibitions & Installations