Walala Lounge

Camille Walala returned to LDF in a characteristically colourful manner. The French-born designer was commissioned by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland to energise and enliven South Molton Street, in the heart of London’s West End, with a bold and beautiful family of street furniture.

Combining head-turning colour and geometric shapes in monumental proportions, the result was Walala Lounge, a set of 10 sculptural benches, accompanied by planters – some freestanding and some integrated into the structure of the benches – and a series of oversized flags that were strung, bunting-style, from shopfront to shopfront, converting the area into an immersive corridor of colour. 

Fully pedestrianised and lined with British and international boutiques and cafes, South Molton Street was transformed into a place to pause. 

Walala’s vision was to create an open-air urban living room – a place for people to come together to chat and relax in central London – with a burst of colour and irrepressible joy. The Walala Lounge  comprised an unpredictable array of cuboids, cylinders and arches made from brushed steel and Tricoya® MDF, while a number of the designs incorporated planters and rug-like bases to enhance their engaging, home-like appeal.

As 3D sculptural objects, the benches and flags marked Walala’s continuing evolution from two to three dimensions – a process which began in 2017 when she created Villa Walala in Exchange Square, Broadgate as a Landmark Project for the Festival, that took the form of a playful castle installation constructed from soft vinyl building blocks.

Supported by Grosvenor Britain & Ireland and City of London.