We are so excited and proud at the news that Old Palace has won the Mayor of London Design Future London award (16-18 year old category).
Our Year 12 team of Geographers, Engineers, Design and Architects created a fantastic design to redevelop Allders as an eco friendly community hub.
The challenge was to redesign a part of central Croydon, and the teams were tasked with identifying a particular part of the High Street to focus on and to create a design that met the needs of the local community. They selected the Allders building because although it was once a thriving part of Croydon’s high street, and the third largest department store in the UK, it sadly closed its doors in 2013. Their design encouraged the diverse community of Croydon to come together and help to restore the sense of community and pride within Croydon.
They chose to used retain the iconic structure of the building, but also to add a green wall of living plants to the façade. Each floor was designed to have a specific purpose with the old Allders carpark being converted in to a safe and welcoming space for refugees and the homeless. The ground floor became a community and service hub for the elderly, and the first floor a community recreation area for young people. The third floor was converted into a sports zone with pool and the roof was converted into an urban garden and biodome.
The finalists were invited to a prizegiving ceremony on the 14th July hosted by the Mayor of London, and students were able to learn about the creative designs from competitor schools across London, and also to network with professional architects and planners. After a nerve-wracking morning we were thrilled when the results were announced!