North Acton Village – A Micro-Urbanism Intervention

North Acton Square was originally built as a public area next to the North Acton tube station, as part of a larger development, but it was only partly completed. It was constructed without important features like shops, places to eat and drink, or spaces for exhibitions - things that help attract people and activity. Because of this, the area began to suffer from neglect, overgrown plants, and increasing anti-social behaviour. North Acton Village steps in to temporarily bring energy and purpose back to the square and provide the community what was previously undelivered. At its heart, the project follows ideas around "design for disassembly" and the circular economy. It uses salvaged materials from nearby Park Royal’s light industrial businesses - like shipping containers and wood from old film sets. Instead of just copying the industrial look of the area, the project reimagines these containers as building blocks that can be easily moved and reused. In the future, these units will be relocated around the Park Royal Design District and loaned out for free each year to new artists and makers. The layout of the containers has been carefully planned. Placed along the narrowest part of the square, they create a street, with large glass fronts that show off the work of local makers, artists, and food vendors. As the site continues west, the buildings pull back to create an open Village Square - a shared space for use by the community. At the centre is a Community Gardener’s shed, with a softly lit gable that works like a lantern to act as a welcoming beacon at night. At the far end is the Village Hut, a flexible space for community events. It finishes the “street” and acts as a visual anchor to draw in pedestrians from both the tube station and the street level. North Acton Village is more than just a visual upgrade. It is a sensitive design that harmonises with, rather than contrasts against, Park Royal's inherent identity as a place of industry, production and innovation. Like the bigger changes coming to West London with HS2, it shows how small, focused projects can turn forgotten spaces into places for connection, creativity, and community.