Erith Lighthouse

Erith Lighthouse is a Thames side pavilion which hosted a series of community events across two sites in Erith in Summer 2017 . A local authority commission, the project celebrates Erith’s connection to the river and the town’s identity in the context of significant growth.

The pavilion is a flexible structure which folds open on all four sides. With a structure made of theatrical rigging clad in polycarbonate, it is a distinctive and colourful presence on the riverfront, and even its construction caused a positive buzz in the town. In its siting, form and function, it evokes the fragile structures that once lined the Thames locally whilst also borrowing languages from Erith’s industrial history.

During a 6-week programme, the Lighthouse hosted 16 sold-out dinners by notable young guest chefs, each of whom were invited to develop menus inspired by the rich culinary and agricultural history of the Thames Estuary and Kent. During the day it served as a community café that opened up the riverside to local residents, and as a venue for a wide variety of community-facing cultural events including walking tours, local beer tastings, community oral history sessions and concerts.

The brief for the Lighthouse emerged out of a prior strategic study that DK-CM and The Decorators produced for Bexley Council, which explored the potential of temporary projects to re-engage Erith with its waterfront and celebrate the town. The Lighthouse subsequently appeared as part of Erith’s Christmas celebrations and the project team are exploring its potential for subsequent seasons and activities.