People power
By Gianfranco Chicco
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POoR Collective channels the youth of Wandsworth in a multifaceted show at an industrial icon
“The ambition of all of our projects is to challenge what design is, what design can be, what the designer is and what a designer can be,” says Larry Botchway, architect and co-founder of London’s POoR Collective. This spirit animates ‘Together in Battersea’, one of LDF’s 2024 Festival Commissions, designed by POoR and hosted at the Battersea Power Station. The goal is to explore the essence of community and connection within this area of Wandsworth since the site’s reopening almost two years ago.
POoR, which stands for Power Out of Restriction, was founded in 2019 by Botchway along with fellow architects Shawn Adams and Ben Spry and accountant Matt Harvey-Agyemang. Their work aims to foster new skills and provide access to the design industry for young people, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. For many participants, these projects represent their first exposure to disciplines like design and architecture and allow them to imagine being part of that community. “We're really keen for these young people to understand that they're the designers of the future, even if the future doesn't currently look like them.” This approach earned POoR the 2023 LDF Emerging Design Medal.
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“We're always interested in the tangible, because we think that when you've created something, it's almost spiritual”
‘Together In Battersea’ is inspired by the ideas and designs of Wandsworth residents under the age of 18 who attended a series of workshops in August 2024 themed around the question: “What does Battersea Power Station mean to you?” The first workshop focused on upskilling, from looking behind the scenes to what architecture and design are to learning basic orthographic drawing. The second session involved applying these new skills to envision what togetherness meant to the participants. Some spoke about family, others about friendship or what a community space should offer.
Their creations, which included collages, patterns and models, were then translated into a physical manifestation with POoR’s guidance. Botchway explains: “We're always interested in the tangible, because we think that when you've created something, it's almost spiritual, right? It’s a reward for the effort. You can see it. You can touch it.”
For POoR, the significance of this project is multilayered. Three of the founders were born and are based in south London; Botchway recalls the feeling of seeing Battersea’s iconic structure on his journey to work from Mitcham to Victoria. It also represents a full-circle return to the collective’s origins, as one of their first projects was a mural done with Carney's Community Centre on the opposite side of Battersea Park.
The Battersea Power Station, a Grade II* listed structure, has often been an inspiration to artists, from musicians to film-makers. The final installation will be revealed in September during LDF, hosted inside the bright Art Deco space of Turbine Hall A, designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, who went on to design another London landmark, the Tate Modern. “I'm hoping that this installation demonstrates that this is a space that can be freely accessed and is for everyone,” says Botchway. “That it encourages people to actually take ownership and that it acknowledges the sense of agency of the young people involved.”
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