Think Twice
by Andrada Calin, Tabby Bunyan & Mark Smith from Isokon Plus
sponsored by LDG
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
‘Think Twice’ pays tribute to Fitzrovia as a cornerstone of creativity, a hub of embracing freedom of expression throughout time, where artists and designers from the Bloomsbury Group were thriving in the early 20th Century.
Seat of the Collective Voice
by Kupkei
sponsored by Databricks
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
The Seat of the Collective Voice memorials demonstrations in London. Looking at recent marches and demonstrations, the seat designers were drawn to long-view photography that captures the scale and layered presence of people paused together in the act of expressing their voice. Founded by Ashwin and Lauren in 2023, Kupkei is an architecture practice that transforms everyday life. They work with an even balance of commercial and public and private clients, focusing on individual homes, public spaces and workspace retrofits.
The Leftovers Love Seat
by Marie-Louise Jones + Foils + Love Design Studio
sponsored by The Langham Estate
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
The Leftovers Love Seat is a zero-waste love seat and uses recycled waste from Fitzrovia’s restaurants and hotels. Marie-Louise James is an award-winning artist, Foils is a London-based architecture studio founded by Ned Scott and Love Design Studio is an environmental consultancy working with teams in the built environment to create sustainable buildings and promote ethical business practices.
Fitz Together
by Minifie Collective
sponsored by Virgin
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
The voices of locals, political thought leaders, poets, artists, and writers from all walks of life have woven together over time to form the vibrant, bohemian community we know as Fitzrovia. To reflect the three key ‘pillars’ of this neighbourhood, the inclusive bench design draws on the playful metaphor of an abstracted jigsaw puzzle, featuring three interlocking pieces symbolizing ‘Art, Literature, and Politics’. Each piece invites public interaction in a unique way – whether by busking on a step, perching on a seat, or lounging within the recessed cut-out, offering a moment of pause amidst the bustle of Charlotte Street. At the heart of the puzzle, an embossed map highlights the original streets of Fitzrovia, anchoring the connection between people and place.
Bare Things
by Pei-Chi Lee and Asia Zwierzchowska
sponsored by Seddons
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
Pei-Chi Lee and Asia Zwierzchowska’s design inspiration for their Fitz&Sits seat is taken from a quote of Virginia Woolf a former resident of Fitzrovia, who lived on Fitzroy Square.
Their intervention will turn everyday passers-by into curious explorers, inviting them to explore the cultural richness of the past and present through materials and textures. The cultural and social history of Fitzrovia, with its multicultural community, artists, and traders, emerges as an ideal source for inspiration.
Two tile-making workshops were held in Fitzrovia so the community could be part of the creative process. The tiles made in the workshops are used on the base of the seat.
A Bench of our Own
by Playful Matter
sponsored by Fora
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
“A Bench of Our Own” is about bringing stories together through dialogue and connection, inspired by the pioneering spirit of Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf.”
Inspired by the pioneering women of the Bloomsbury Group—particularly Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf—“A Bench of Our Own” reimagines the traditional bench as a playful mini stage for gathering and conversation. Named as a playful nod to Bell’s painting and Woolf’s iconic essay, the design echoes their rejection of rigidity in favour of enjoyment, freedom, and artistic expression.
The Junction
by Studio OleO with 121 Collective
sponsored by Sainsbury Wellcome Centre
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
The Junction, designed by Yaobin Wang and Zixin Ye, embodies contrast and harmony through a bench design inspired by Augustus John’s metaphor —“everyone passed through the Fitzroy sooner or later.” We reimagine this as: “everyone meets on the bench sooner or later.” The Junction is not just a bench—it’s a space for gathering, expression, and connection, blending the past and future while embracing a sustainable vision.
Middlesex Speaks
by James Shackleton and Hackney Mosaic Project
sponsored by The Newman Hotel
“Our seat gives a memorial to the lost hospital and influential figures from a bygone era.”
Middlesex Hospital is our design inspiration. Founded in 1745, The Middlesex grew in importance: by 1747 it was one of London’s earliest maternity facilities, and one of its earliest research institutions, specialising since 1792 in the care and treatment of cancer. From the outset, it was also a medical school. Its nursing school became renowned. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first UK doctor, trained here, and Florence Nightingale practised here. Up until its closure in 2008, Middlesex hospital was a big part of the community. Middlesex Speaks bench seeks to give a memorial to the lost hospital and influential figures in Fitzrovia.
Patiently Waiting
by Studio This + That
sponsored by The Doctors Laboratory (TDL) and Health Services Laboratories (HSL)
© Luke O’Donovan
© Luke O’Donovan
“An interactive bench designed to inspire play and evoke childhood memories.”
This intervention aimed to turn everyday passers-by into curious explorers, inviting them to explore the cultural richness of the past and present through materials and textures. The cultural and social history of Fitzrovia, with its multicultural community, artists, and traders, emergeed as an ideal source for inspiration.
