‘DON’T WALK, WALK’ LBMV ARCHITECTS at Canary Wharf

Cesar Pelli’s One Canada Square is not only the most iconic building at Canary Wharf, but in 1991 it transformed London's skyline, becoming the city’s tallest tower until it was overtaken by The Shard. The gateway to the estate, Foster & Partners’ imposing tube station, is another masterpiece. It is therefore appropriate that Canary Wharf should continue to celebrate architecture and invite people to explore how the built form impacts on our environment and emotions.
LBMV Architects is constructing an interactive installation in the Lobby of One Canada Square, creating an architectural boundary between the corporate environment and the experiential space of the installation. The title (borrowed from American traffic lights) reinforces the nature of the boundary – should one walk through this structure, or is it forbidden? The structure, assembled on site by a single joiner from regular lengths of wood bought from any good DIY store, demonstrates how affordable it can be to create a basic shelter - a poignant message when housing is at a premium. It will show how the simplest of structures, made from basic materials, can draw people in and convey a powerful experience of space, light, shade and volume – the key principles of architecture.