A public debate on the theme of Wellbeing as part of the Unlocking Pentonville weekend of events.

Background

For this year’s London Festival of Architecture, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects is unearthing memories of Pentonville Prison to imagine a radically different future for its site.

HM Prison Service is selling its inner city jails, releasing their sites for redevelopment. Nearby Holloway Prison is being marketed and a planning brief has been written; it is likely that the iconic Pentonville will follow. Given the prison’s history and listed status, pressure from the King’s Cross development and concerns around housing, the challenge is to envision a new life for the site that communicates its past and relevance into the future.

Unlocking Pentonville aims to imagine a radical new vision for this area of Caledonian Road by producing a spatial, social and economic proposition for the prison site. Through a provocative exhibition and a weekend of public debates and workshops, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects will lead the Caledonian Road community in asking ‘what next?’ for the troubled prison’s landmark structures.

Unlocking Pentonville: Wellbeing

For many years the prison has restricted access to outsiders while keeping people isolated inside. It is simultaneously disconnected from its surroundings and a constant presence in the area.

This panel discussion will consider the current urban context and strategies of freedom and interaction in relation to Pentonville’s future. How might the reimagined site enable connected and open communities to thrive? What opportunities does the redevelopment offer for fostering a mixture of uses and users? How could this improve the quality of life of local residents?

The panel members will each give a short presentation addressing the theme, followed by a discussion and Q+A with the audience.

Speakers:
Ken Worpole, Writer and social historian
Daisy Froud, Participatory design facilitator
John Long, Igloo

Chaired by:
Sarah Wigglesworth, Sarah Wigglesworth Architects

For further information on the full weekend programme, please see the Unlocking Pentonville LFA page.