See Paddington
Artful placemaking and integrated wayfinding with a poetic twist
The area around the Paddington basin and canal side suffered from a lack of coherence or sense of place. The Paddington Partnership put out an open call to address the levels of severance and create a thread of common identity throughout the area.
Steer’s concept is more than conventional wayfinding or placemaking, See Paddington graphically integrates locally inspired stories, poetry and art within the urban fabric to create a coherent sense of place, revealing Paddington’s hidden assets and identifying key gateways to the canalside.
A series of perforated steel panels, with patterns and stories derived from Paddington’s heritage, culture, people and nature create a narrative trail linking the gateways to the canal. The panels play with light and shadow and respond to passing movement – offering an immersive experience to both entice and engage with visitors.
In partnership with Poet in the City, poets Jo Bell and Sophie Herxheimer were commissioned to create unique and personal local narratives that help guide people through the area.
See Paddington is a celebration of Paddington’s heritage, people and culture and tells a unique story, with a lasting legacy that will continue to animate the place and bring people together.
“We were delighted with the scale and quality of responses we received to the Paddington Connections open call. Steer and Jedco are a perfect fit for what we are trying to achieve at Paddington; a robust wayfinding pedigree coupled with a thorough appreciation of Paddington’s rich heritage, to create an area-wide narrative-led gateway and breadcrumb strategy”
Client: Paddington Partnership
Partners: Jedco, Poet in the City