Baked London icons in this year’s Gingerbread “Recycled” City
Now in its eighth year, The Gingerbread City, curated by the Museum of Architecture, takes on the theme of Recycled City. This festive exhibition showcases biscuity renditions of iconic London landmarks like the London Eye and highlights the importance of re-use, retrofit, and repurposing in architecture. It's taking place at the Gaumont in Chelsea and runs until the 29th of December 2024.
Bringing together the creativity and baking skills of more than 50 leading practices, the Museum of Architecture collaborates every year with architects, landscape architects, and designers to engage the public with architecture in a fun and inspiring way, sparking meaningful conversations about the future of our cities.
We look forward to visiting The Gingerbread City every year to witness the creativity first-hand. This year, six gingerbread creations caught our eye. Scroll down to explore these inspiring designs, including the transformation of historical buildings like Devonport House, the London Eye, and the Gaumont. Get ready to see architecture in a whole new (and delicious) way!
1. A taste of the Devonport House Project by Stride Treglown
This year, Stride Treglown focused on recreating a real project - the transformation of Devonport House (University of Greenwich). Devonport House, a Grade II listed building in the heart of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, is set to undergo a major refurbishment and extension. Stride Treglown will lead the architectural vision, blending historic charm with modern design to ensure the space continues to be a vital educational hub.
Adding a sweet touch to the project, Stride Treglown has created an impressive gingerbread version of the building and given us all a little project teaser. The lights and intricate details have us excited to see the final transformation of Devonport House when the project is completed.
2. Existing industrial buildings repurposed in baked form by cgl
In their creation, CGL (Child Graddon Lewis) offers an inspiring alternative by focusing on three common types of industrial buildings found across the British landscape, showcasing innovative ways they can be transformed through adaptive reuse.
Their message is clear: the demolition of existing industrial buildings must be carefully considered and openly debated. We think this is a great (and fun) way to start the conversation and explore how we can repurpose these buildings in environmentally conscious ways while preserving our heritage.
3. Repurposing the wheel - Tasteful London Eye Park by Sheppard Robson
Sheppard Robson has reimagined one of London’s iconic landmarks, The London Eye, in their stunning gingerbread creation. In this design, the famous wheel is laid flat in the Thames, transforming into the foundation of a vibrant festive park.
The new vision features ice skating, shops, homes, and even new islands along the river, creating a lively community space rather than just a single landmark.
4. The Gaumont - where the bread-magic happens by Studio PDP
Studio PDP has recreated The Gaumont - this year’s heart of the Gingerbread City magic. Their design is inspired by the redevelopment of the historical buildings at 196-222 King’s Road, a project that brings to life Cadogan Estate’s vision of creating a vibrant new cultural and commercial hub for the area.
In their delicious Gingerbread creation, we can feel the Art Deco influence and vibrant colours, evoking a sense of nostalgia and transporting us back to different eras.
5. Sweet (re)imagination of the Hearst Tower by Foster + Partners
Foster + Partners reimagine New York's Hearst Tower in their gingerbread creation. In this design, the Hearst Tower becomes a hub for sustainable building recycling in an urban setting. They propose adding triangular modules, designed for disassembly and made from recycled materials gathered from citywide building deconstruction. These modules transform the tower into a flexible, dynamic space.
Blending architecture with food, this model also repurposes office food waste. In the spirit of edible creativity, we think it is a fantastic idea for Gingerbread City. We especially like the touch of creating the Christmas bees!
6. A real Gingerbread community by Tibbalds
Tibbalds' Gingerbread City reimagines a section of the city, showcasing various projects that highlight the potential for retrofitting and repurposing industrial buildings to regenerate an area. The design explores themes of sustainable travel, mixed-use spaces, and leisure, all within the context of a gingerbread community.
Focusing on people and a sense of community, Tibbalds' creation brings this vision to life in a fun and imaginative way, showing how people might interact with and inhabit these spaces!
Have you explored the Gingerbread City yet?
If so, which was your favourite gingerbread place?
If you have not been yet, we highly recommend checking out this deliciously creative experience.
If you are interested in learning more about creating spaces and communities, be sure to check out our other blog posts, where we explore topics like placemaking, community engagement, and more.