That's a wrap – ADC

Picture this: a substation, in Brent Cross, on the side of the A406 North Circular by a junction to the M1 motorway. Whatever you had in your mind, this is not it. This is a substation wrapped by the work of architects IF_DO and London-based artist, Lakwena, who have teamed up to produce a vibrant, undulating structure that surrounds the electrical power supply unit.

The pairing won a competition to design the structure in 2021, seeing off 16 other entrants. Responding to a brief that called for “‘something striking and highly memorable for passers-by,” as well as being a “bold statement that catches the eye and speaks to our values and ambitions at an early stage in the project’s life,” IF_DO and Lakwena drew inspiration from photographer Eadweard Muybridge’s motion studies as well as their own research into roadside architecture.

Rising to 21 metres (taller than the Angel of the North), the structure sits on a newly landscaped embankment designed by Gillespies Landscape Architects, who have added newly planted trees and a wildflower meadow. The structure itself uses four bands and triangular-shaped “lenticular” panels, arranged in undulating fashion, with 50 per cent of the structural steel used for the project being salvaged from unused oil pipelines, a move which reduced the project’s embodied carbon emissions by more than 40 per cent.

Twinned with Lakwena’s typically technicolour supergraphical overlay, the roadside addition amplifies the sense of movement, particularly for motorists driving by, as well as passengers on the Thameslink line also nearby (Brent Cross West station, designed and built by engineering firm VolkerFitzpatrick is due to open this year). Indeed, an estimated six million road and rail users will see IF_DO and Lakwena’s wor each year.

“Despite its artistic presentation, the substation has been designed as a hardworking, durable piece of infrastructure, with carefully planned access and large demountable panels in the screen at ground level that allow for ease of maintenance and repair,” IF_DO said in a statement. “The colour scheme and effect of the pattern have been tested for colourblind viewers and approved for use close to the highways and railway lines.”

Written on the structure is the phrase, “Here we come, Here we rise and shine,” words that give the artwork its name and also aim to inspire the local community – a community that is growing as Related Argent, together with Barnet Council, set to work on developing the Brent Cross Town area.

The £8 million scheme has set its sights on being a net zero carbon development by 2030. The substation is a part of this plan, providing energy to all of Brent Cross Town, including 6,700 new homes, 3 million sq ft of offices, as well as new retail and leisure spaces. This also includes a low-carbon district heating and cooling network run by Swedish energy company Vattenfall.

Here we come, here we rise, finds itself in good company, joining the interesting club of architecture that houses relatively mundane infrastructure, namely John Outram’s infamous Pumping Station in the Isle of Dogs; Cullinan Studios’ Bunhill 2 Energy Centre; NORD architecture’s brick substation for the 2012 Olympics; and soon to finish, the ‘Euston Sugar Cube’ by Weston Williamson + Partners, with William Matthews Associates.

“It is rare to have the opportunity to work on a project of the scale and ambition of this, and to be able to realise it with such conceptual purity,” Sarah Castle, a Director at IF_DO, said in a statement. “Combining architecture, infrastructure and art, it has been a wonderfully collaborative process from the start, with IF_DO manipulating form and shape, and Lakwena exploring colour and poetry. The structure is inspired by movement: it is designed to be viewed both in motion by the millions that pass the site by train and by road, and to convey a sense of motion as it is viewed from across the neighbourhood. The architectural wrap transforms utilitarian infrastructure into a major new landmark for Brent Cross that celebrates the spirit of the local community.”

Lakwena meanwhile added: “The key pledges of the Brent Cross Town development highlight a commitment to play, inclusivity, sustainability and connectivity. All of these themes are expressed through a messaging approach which alludes to movement, togetherness, ambition and a sense of newness.”