Text description provided by the architects. Macchiato is a public space designed by OUT Architecture for the London Festival of Architecture 2026, located in front of The Colombian Coffee Company along Petticoat Lane, one of London's most vibrant and culturally diverse streets. The project transforms an overlooked urban corner into a place for gathering, conversation, and pause within the everyday life of the city.
Inspired by the ritual of sharing coffee, Macchiato takes its name from the circular mark left by a coffee cup on a surface. This familiar trace becomes the starting point for the design of a circular seating element, fabricated by Red Collective & Jamps Studio. Beyond its direct reference to coffee culture, the circle recalls one of the oldest forms of human interaction: gathering around a common center to share stories, experiences, and moments of connection.
The project's location plays a fundamental role in its identity. Petticoat Lane has historically been shaped by markets, working communities, and successive waves of migration, becoming a place where different cultures, traditions, and everyday encounters overlap. Macchiato adds a new layer to this collective history, creating an informal meeting point that strengthens the street's role as a space of exchange.
Material choices reinforce the dialogue between the installation and its surroundings. The warm tones of the gravel surface evoke both coffee and the brick facades of the neighborhood, allowing the intervention to blend naturally into the existing urban fabric. Oxidised steel planters introduce a sense of permanence and memory, while the stainless steel seating elements create a contemporary contrast between industrial character and human scale.
The planting strategy, developed by Susanna Grant of LINDA and Will Sholey of Sholey Garden and Design, introduces greenery and biodiversity into a dense urban environment, transforming the corner into a softer and more welcoming space. The different shades of gravel subtly reference the various stages of coffee production, from the raw bean to the final cup shared in daily rituals.
Rather than proposing a large-scale intervention, Macchiato explores how small architectural gestures can reshape the perception and use of public space. Through a simple circular element, a material palette connected to its context, and an invitation to stop and interact, the project highlights the potential of temporary architecture as a catalyst for social connection and belonging.
MACCHIATO POCKET PARK
LOCATION London, England
ARCHITECT OUT Architecture
PHOTOGRAPHY Federico Farinatti and Aldgate Connect BID