'Gateways to Whitechapel' New Design Competition Launches

Monday 23 June 2025

We're pleased to be launching a brand new design competition for Whitechapel Market. In partnership with Tower Hamlets Council and The Ninety Four Group, this competition will seek to create bold ‘welcome’ features for London’s famous Whitechapel Market.

Open to architects, landscape architects, designers and artists, this exciting open call seeks innovative designs that create striking ‘gateway’ features at key entry points along Whitechapel Road to celebrate and enhance Whitechapel Market, welcome residents and visitors, and reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the local community.

Entrants are invited to develop proposals that bring new visual focal points to the market’s west, east, and station entrances – creating a stronger sense of arrival, identity, and pride in place. The brief calls for permanent installations that are imaginative, inclusive, and representative of Whitechapel’s rich cultural and historical heritage.

Up to six teams will be shortlisted in August 2025 and awarded an honorarium of £2,000 + VAT each to develop their designs further. Shortlisted proposals will be exhibited publicly in early autumn 2025 to gather community feedback, with the winning team announced in October. The final design will be delivered for installation in summer 2026 to coincide with the London Festival of Architecture.

With Whitechapel Market undergoing a wider transformation as part of the Whitechapel Road Improvements Programme, this competition offers a timely opportunity to shape the area’s future. Proposals are expected to align with Tower Hamlets Council’s ambitions for improved accessibility, wayfinding, and public realm, while offering a platform for creative expression rooted in local identity.

This commission forms part of NLA’s commitment to supporting high-quality design, public participation, and the long-term resilience of London’s built environment.

For more detailed instructions, including eligibility and full details on applying, please view the ITT via the button below.

Open call

Full Instructions (ITT)

Apply Here