The elephant & castle shopping centre, in the 1960s, was ambitiously designed to be a landmark in London and a shopping mall full of optimism and visionary zeal. Today, however, it is known as a place dominated by cars and buses, engine fumes, noise, two large roundabouts, a pedestrian subway system and residential tower blocks.
On the other hand, the shopping centre is regarded as a community centre for the locals, it supplies a wide range of merchandise including cuisine from Asian, African and Latin American communities, daily necessities from chargers to suitcases as well as entertainment functions such as bowling alleys. With a 54-year history, the indispensable function and the cultural diversity brought by vendors originating from various countries, the elephant & castle shopping centre became a symbol of the society that is dependent on it within this area.
This space of great cultural and social value, is now faced by a government decision - in December 2018 - to demolish and replace the building with a modern luxury shopping centre.
With my intervention, I use reconstructive techniques as a method to preserve the building. The photogrammetry process becomes an archival practice in recording the details of the environment - which in turn aims to preserve the culture within as well as the history of the building itself.