New London Architecture

Shortlist announced for competition to revolutionise the traditional Police Box in the Square Mile

Tuesday 30 March 2021

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Six teams will have the opportunity to develop further their ideas for a 21st Century Police Box to support interaction with residents, workers and visitors in the Square Mile, it has been revealed.

The competition, being run by the City of London Corporation, the City of London Police, Bloomberg Associates and New London Architecture (NLA), aims to provide an engaging and informative addition to the public realm.

The ‘Digital Service Point’ will creatively reinvent the way City residents, workers and visitors can contact authorities and gain information. They will also store medical equipment for emergency response and incorporate amenities to serve the public.

A total of 61 design proposals were submitted in the first phase of the competition which gained international interest with applications received from Argentina, Canada, China, India, Luxembourg, Spain and from across the UK.

A wide range of ideas were reflected in the submissions from pocket designs to larger structures, with many different building materials proposed. Several designs included sustainability features such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting or greening.

The six shortlisted teams are:

  • CAN with Cake Industries
  • Harry Dobbs Design with Eckersley O’Callaghan and STBY
  • McCloy + Muchemwa with Oliver Wilton, Victoria Philpott & Arup
  • ScottWhitbyStudio
  • tp bennett
  • Unknown Works
The shortlisted practices will now progress to ‘stage two’ of the competition where they will develop their design into a more detailed proposal. The winner will be announced in May.

Chairman of the Streets and Walkways Sub Committee at the City of London Corporation, Oliver Sells QC, said:

“It is fantastic to see the international interest and vast range of ideas submitted for our competition to transform the traditional Police Box into a model of 21st Century policing.

“It is more important than ever that we focus on the safety and security on City streets and these hubs will help to make the Square Mile even more appealing to our residents, workers and visitors”.

Temporary Commander at the City of London Police, Dai Evans, said:

“It is great news that so many groups within our communities have taken the time to submit their ideas for these innovative new Digital Service Points. As a force, the City of London Police are always looking for new ways to keep our City safe and I’m excited to see what these six finalists produce to help us do just that.

“Alongside our Dedicated Ward Officers, Uniformed Policing and Project Servator teams, the Digital Service Points will be an additional means to help us prevent crime, deliver effective policing, provide essential information and keep our communities safe. They will also enforce the message that criminals are not welcome in the Square Mile.”

Katherine Oliver, Principal of the Media & Digital Strategies practice at Bloomberg Associates, said:

“The range of creativity and innovation exhibited by these design proposals is impressive. I’m delighted that these organisations have offered to help shape an important addition to the public realm.

“This will not only improve the City of London, it will be a great model for other cities around the world.”
 
Managing Director at New London Architecture (NLA), Tamsie Thomson, said:

“It’s exciting to see such a diverse shortlist for our competition to create Digital Service Points across the City of London.

“The challenge of reconciling new technology, public interactivity and the extraordinary backdrop of the Square Mile has understandable proved irresistible to a very strong shortlist of established names and emerging talent, and I’m looking forward to seeing a fascinating set of ideas for our judging panel to consider.”

Collaborate with us

If you have a project, an idea to test, or a problem in need of a creative design solution and collaborative thinking, we’d love to hear from you.

Our mission at NLA is to make London a better place for those who live, work and visit. We support this by facilitating collaboration and innovation. With our partners, we help solve urban problems and test ideas by engaging expert and emerging talent from both our 25,000 strong cross-sector networks, and beyond.

See more information here or contact collaborate@nla.london
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The winning team will be announced in late May 2021

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