Pedro Gil, director, Studio Gil and member of mayor’s commission for diversity in the public realm, shares his best thing about London - the Latin American community.

Latin America consists of 19 countries in Central and South America, so it is a region of the world that is diverse and multicultural with various ethnicities co-existing. one the best things about London is its vibrant and inclusive Latin American community. It has been present en masse in London since the 1970s, and in that time two visible quarters for business and social activities have established themselves in the capital — Wards Corner in Seven Sisters to the north, and Elephant and Castle to the south. This community has contributed greatly to London’s growth through cultural, social, and economic capital on a consistent level over almost half a century. With the dynamic flux in a major city like London come the pressures of regeneration bringing with it the threat of gentrification, and as a consequence both of these cultural hubs have been diminished. 

A critical question is posed — how do we design to support Latin American culture in London? The importance of this ethnic minority group to our city cannot be understated — contributions through culture (food, art, music, dance) and economics (job creation, tax and national insurance contributions, etc) are plentiful. As a city, we have a paradigm-changing opportunity to incubate, support, enhance, and celebrate the cultural capital of this influential ethnic community, through fit -or-purpose spaces and buildings that celebrate and continue to facilitate the inclusive nature of Latin American culture for London. Architecture has the potential to be a catalyst for social justice.