The winners are: Studio Folk Architects with RASKL, chosen for the Abbotsbury Road and Abbotsbury Circus site; and Andre Kong Studio with Wayward, chosen for the Station Yard site.
The other finalists were: POoR Collective; OUT Architects; Off Ground Collective with DO+CO Studio; and Betty Owoo, Siraaj Mitha and CARD Projects.
Architects, designers and artists were invited to create site-specific ‘creative and engaging interventions’ that would boost the quality of public life in the town centre.
The competition, backed by the London Borough of Merton, sought to ‘activate and enrich’ local public spaces while also reflecting the area’s distinctive character and enhancing community identity.
The open call featured two sites: Station Yard, with a £60,000 budget, a large disused public space behind the underground station; and Abbotsbury Road and Abbotsbury Circus with a £83,000 budget, which offer an opportunity for streetscape improvements and a new civic gateway.
Entries were asked to respond to this year’s LFA theme of Voices, encouraging creative concepts that reflect diverse perspectives.
Studio Folk Architects and RASKL said: ‘We’re thrilled to have been selected to deliver our proposal for the Morden Moments design competition. Our concept celebrates the unique character of Morden Town Centre, drawing on the often-overlooked textures, patterns, and colours of the existing public realm.
‘Morden Moments provides a valuable opportunity to help shape a more welcoming and inclusive public realm at the heart of Morden Town Centre. We look forward to working closely with Merton Council, the London Festival of Architecture and the local community to bring the project to life.’
Andre Kong Studio and Wayward said: ‘We’re thrilled to have been selected and really excited to take on the Morden station yard site, full of untapped potential just behind the high street.
‘Our proposal Morden Pickle brings together several threads we’re passionate about: bold colourful placemaking, creating playful catalysts for community life and continuing our long-term work in the Morden area.’
The winning concepts will be installed in time for next year’s LFA and the centenary of the opening of Morden station. They will remain on site for around five years ahead of long-term improvements to the area.
LFA director Rosa Rogina said: ‘We were truly inspired by the quality of submissions to Morden Moments. The winning projects reflect top-quality design characteristics through their thoughtful space-specific designs, highlighting the voices of Morden’s community. We can’t wait to see these interventions come to life in the heart of the town centre.’
Morden is a suburban town centre that witnessed rapid growth following the building of a southern extension to the Northern Line in 1926. The town centre contains Merton Council’s civic centre, Morden Hall Park and the Wandle Trail.
Round one applications were evaluated 60 per cent on team profile and 40 per cent on initial vision. The shortlisted teams each received a £1,000 honorarium to draw up design proposals during the contest’s second round.
The competition was judged by Quincy Haynes, architect and urban designer at the London Borough of Merton; John Merriman of the Metronome Café in Morden; Jennifer Nieslony of the Merton Youth Parliament; and Eleanor Stringer, Merton’s deputy leader and cabinet member for civic pride and climate change.
The announcement of the winners comes shortly after Charles Holland Architects completed its competition-winning design for Merton Council for a ‘bold and striking’ £90,000 temporary bandstand in nearby Mitcham.