NOOMA: Flying the Pelican

In May 2022 the South London Gallery invited NOOMA Studio, an award-winning design and architecture practice, to work with the Pelican Plus Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) of Pelican Estate, Peckham.  The project aimed to renovate the TRA Hall to make it more welcoming, safe, and practical.  This was made possible thanks to the support of Community Southwark, a charity supporting residents with engagement projects.

The TRA and volunteers manage the hall, which offers a daily afterschool club for children, a food and hygiene bank, a base for community meetings and workshops, and a vital affordable space to hire for celebrations and religious gatherings. Throughout 2022 NOOMA Studio met with the TRA to develop a design that would address their needs and required improvements. The refurbishment includes; replacing the flooring and ceiling tiles, refreshing the kitchen cabinets, surfaces and cooker, and creating a display wall and bespoke media suite to support the TRA’s digital inclusion aims. These elements were combined with clever design, natural materials and colour treatment devised by NOOMA.

NOOMA took the TRA logo’s orange colour as a unifying palette for the space and integrated patterns and details made by residents and children at a summer fun day. During the fun day, a kite-making and ground-drawing workshop provided a playful opportunity for the designers and residents to talk through why the hall is an essential resource.

The renovation was conducted by local flooring company Cavendish deVere and Connection Crew. Connection Crew are a social enterprise and charity supporting people who have experienced homelessness with training and employment opportunities in construction and production. They focus on a sustainable, economically mindful and caring approach to construction in community settings.

Work on the hall was completed in February 2023, and the TRA hopes to improve the external façade of the hall in 2024.

I started as the TRA chair in 2019, and over these three years, and I know the two chairs prior to me, the goal and intent to do something with the hall has always been there. This has finally been achieved with the help of the South London Gallery and the space is improved significantly. It’s really nice to now see the smiles on the communities’ face when they see the hall and are pleasantly surprised to see the inside after seeing the outside.
– Resident Dario Jade Blake

About NOOMA Studio

NOOMA Studio is an award winning inter-disciplinary practice of architects and creatives with a heartfelt connection to London. Their work focuses on problem solving and creating joyful spaces that support human thriving and wellbeing. The studio is founded on diversity and collaborative co-creation. They create accessible, people-led spaces through investigation, engagement, design, delivery and post occupancy support. NOOMA is formed of members from non-traditional backgrounds, inspired by London’s cultural mosaic, hoping to reflect the diversity and creativity of London through their work.

About Connection Crew

Connection Crew are a company providing teams of talent people to help solve production challenges across a range of sectors including events, TV and film and construction. They are on a mission to prevent and reduce homelessness by offering training, mentoring and employed in their crews. Connection Crew work to improve the wellbeing of their workforce, local community and environment by aiming to be Net Zero in 2025.