The Africa Centre, London
The Africa Centre opens its doors to an exciting new chapter at Gunpowder House in Tower Bridge, London.
Since opening at 38 King Street, Covent Garden in 1964, the Africa Centre has injected a wealth of cultural heritage and politics into the city. With several African political figures stepping foot through the doors, it was famously selected as the venue for the release of a public statement by Nelson Mandela.
The decision to relocate was made back in 2013 when the centre’s financial sustainability was at risk. Since then, the centre has been awarded a £1.6 million grant from the mayor of London to kickstart the redevelopment and relocation to Gunpowder House. After a long development, the centre appointed Freehaus Design for the architecture and Tola Ojuolape Studio for the design process.
Kriskadecor, earth’s design
With African culture and heritage at the core of the design, the premises were completely transformed. The new design includes a café, bar and lounge, a gallery, performance space, a business suite, and a digital learning and research centre, giving the African community a place to immerse themselves in history and culture.
Working alongside Tola Ojuolape Studio we were asked to specify a bespoke metal drapery to create a feature wall that would add texture to the open space and match the beadwork used throughout. To achieve this, we supplied our Kriskadecor metal chains, which were hung in front of the blank wall.
The chains were powder coated in Satin Coffee (RAL8014), Satin Grey (RAL7039), Satin Brown (RAL8000), Satin Sand (RAL1019), and Satin Apricot (RAL1034) to create a gradient effect. These colours form part of the Earth’s Design in Colours combination. The finishes were chosen as they incorporate the true African style and feature the colours and patterns of the continent.
