Flying the Pelican

Flying the Pelican is a collaboration between NOOMA Studio, the South London Gallery, The Pelican Tenant’s and Residents Association (TRA), Community Southwark, and social-impact contractor, Connection Crew. NOOMA Studio is a practice known for their dedication to serving underrepresented communities in the UK. Their approach is rooted in narrative design, emphasising the importance of personal storytelling and community participation in their projects. Flying the Pelican, completed in February 2023, was an embodiment of this ethos. It involved extensive workshops and community engagement activities, transforming the TRA Hall into a more welcoming, safe, and practical space. This transformation was essential as the hall, formerly an estate launderette, served vital functions like hosting after-school clubs, community meetings, religious gatherings, and operating as a food and hygiene bank. Central to the project was the concept of intergenerational play, employed by NOOMA as a method to engage estate residents in the hall's redesign and programming. NOOMA developed visual aids allowing residents to actively decide on the allocation of the project's budget. The design elements, inspired by patterns created during the Summer Fun Day, provided a visual hierarchy to the new hall and a sense of ownership to residents. The success of 'Flying the Pelican' is also attributed to the synergistic collaboration with Community Southwark, which supported resident engagement, and Connection Crew, a contractor employing individuals with lived experiences of homelessness. This collaboration is a testament to the power of collective effort in reimagining community spaces. NOOMA committed to a retro-first approach, choosing to breathe new life into an existing space instead of building new. They picked natural materials like cork and timber, and recycled plastics for tougher furnishings, keeping in mind the carbon impact of the design as well as the well-being of users.