DLR Underline Activation

New London Architecture is an organisation promoting excellence for the built environment. Their purpose is to improve the quality of people’s lives by making London a better place to live, work and visit. Every year they run an open competition to identify and celebrate projects that support their goals by demonstrating the positive impact high-quality design, planning and construction can have on people, neighbourhoods and the city.

This year The Underline Activation project has been shortlisted for the New London awards 2022 in the category of 'Meanwhile' project. A prestigious international jury of architecture and urban design experts, advised by a team of London-based sector expert assessors, will evaluate and select the winning projects from across 14 different categories. A 'people's choice award' will also be granted via public voting. For more information on the awards or to support this project follow the link here.

The 'Sounds of the Underline' audio series have been released this July.

This series of recordings capture how local people who who have lived and worked on the Isle of Dogs across four generations understand the unique history of the island, how things have changed and what the future might hold.

Commissioned by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets as part of the ‘DLR Underline Activation’ project, these audio series were recorded on site from Sept 21-May 22, aiming to celebrate the area’s heritage and to collectively reimagine the future of the Underline as a public active space.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their words and insights with special thanks to Cubitt Library and the Friends of Island History Trust.

Recording and Sound Design: Lucia Scazzocchio
Recording Assistant: Dhevia Sharma

Listen here or go to the webpage Sounds of the Underline

Adventures on the Underline were a series of day-long events held in three sites along the Underline on the 14th of May of 2022. It was estimated that over 3,500 people visited the sites during the day, and were able to enjoy circus performances, parkour workshops, live music, street art workshops, a photography exhibition, and a limited local food and retail offer.

Thanks to all who came along, participated, and gave us feedback on the day.

As the Tower Hamlets Regeneration Team and partners continue to develop a vision for re-animating the public realm under and around the DLR lines throughout the Borough, a series of events called 'Adventures in the Underline' are being produced to engage the local and wider community in testing how these spaces could be brought to life.

'Adventures in the Underline' will be a free day of outdoor events temporarily transforming three sites located under the DLR tracks on the Isle of Dogs Saturday the 14th May of 2022 from 11am to 7pm. The events will create opportunities for people of all ages to engage in activities such as: seeing an exhibition of historic images of the area, participating on the creation of street art, listening to live music, recording radio interviews, observing or joining circus and parkour skills demonstrations, enjoying food and drinks.

These events will be open to all and will be an opportunity to help us identify the main challenges and opportunities associated with transforming the ‘Underline’ into a cohesive and active public space in the long term. We hope to see you there.

More information can be found here https://www.theunderline.co.uk/

The Underline Discovery Sessions were the first of series of temporary interventions to test the potential of the space to host more diverse uses.

These were a series of small events held as part of the Open House Festival 2021 on the 11th and 12th of September, exploring the site’s architecture, heritage and public realm. Circa 120 participants (including children from a local school) were on site to draw, write, photograph and talk to the regeneration team to share their views on the current state of the space as well as on their vision for a more publicly accessible and better used one.

LBTH are pleased to present the Underline Discovery Sessions, taking place as part of the Open House Festival 2021, on the weekend of the 11th/12th September.

The Underline Discovery Sessions are the first of series of temporary interventions to test the potential of the space to host more diverse uses. All events will be held on site and will provide opportunities for the public to explore the area through activities such as: contributing to the recording of a podcast about the area; responding to the site by writing poetry; highlighting what is of community value by sharing photographs online; capturing the built environment with sketches and drawings; joining an past-to-present themed guided tour; walking along an historic audio trail; or just coming along to discuss the context of the project with some of the Borough’s officers.

The following events will be taking place over the weekend:

Underline Discovery Sessions - Info Desk

Open to: All

Date: Saturday 11th Sept 2021

Times: 11am-1pm & 2-4pm

Description: Conversation with Tower hamlets regeneration team officers who will be on site to discuss project aims and context. We will also share information capture feedback about the events happening this weekend,

Capacity: 2 small groups of people at a given time.

Underline Discovery Sessions - Insta Isle of Dogs

Open to: All

Date: Saturday 4^th through to Sunday 12^th September 2021

Times: All week, all times

Description: Open online picture competition capturing the DLR structures as well as what is valued in the area which could be brough to the Underline space. Winning image(s) will be used to advertise the project subject to agreement with owner. Instagram #DLRUnderline.

Capacity: No limit.

Underline Discovery Sessions – Isle of Dogs Guided Walking Tour

Open to: All

Date: Saturday 11^th & Sunday 12^th September 2021

Times: Saturday: 2-4pm; Sunday 11am-1pm

Description: Walking tour with blue badge guide talking about the past, present and future of the area.

Capacity: 25 per session.

Underline Discovery Sessions – Resident Frequencies

Open to: All

Date: Saturday 11^th September 2021

Times: 11am-1pm & 2-4pm (in 20 mins. slots)

Description: Interviews and environmental sounds recorded on site with guests and residents who would like to share their knowledge of the site and wider area.

Capacity: 1-2 people per slot.

More about this event:

Social Broadcasts will be tuning into to the sounds of the DLR Underline and the people that inhabit the space via a mobile podcast recording studio. A DLR Underline podcast will capture the area through sound to create a record of time and space. Participants will have the opportunity to voice their observations, hopes and fears about this rapidly developing area.

Social Broadcasts, developed by Lucia Scazzocchio combines community engagement, co-creation, audio production and broadcasting techniques to create unique insight into specific communities and environments. These audio formats are collaborative and immersive, creating interactive environments where the public are invited to share and record their own experiences and stories. Social Broadcasts works alongside design / research teams in areas undergoing change to develop projects in collaboration with local people so that they see themselves reflected in the spaces they inhabit.

Underline Discovery Session - Geopoetry

Open to: 16+

Date: Saturday 11^th September 2021

Times: Saturday: 4-6pm

Description: Literature workshop to explore and respond to the site with poetry or small pieces of work. Materials and refreshments provided.

Capacity: 15 people per workshop.

More about this event:

This writing workshop led by Fieldnotes will explore the Underline using techniques such as concrete poetry and psychogeography to engage the participants with the site’s architecture, narratives, communities, contingent histories and possible futures.

Fieldnotes is an experimental literature publication edited by Bella Marrin. This workshop will be produced in collaboration with Dr. David Anderson (Fieldnotes contributing editor, Fellow at Queen Mary University of London, researcher on London writing, speculative & fictional topographies).

Underline Discovery Sessions – Sketch Crawl

Open to: All

Date: Saturday 11^th September 2021

Times: 11am-2pm & 3-6pm

Description: A moving workshop along the DLR Underline capturing the spaces and surroundings through a series of drawings and sketches. Materials provided.

More about this event:

Sketching our local townscape is the best way to visually connect with our city. This communal drawing project led by Benedict O’Looney will aim to help identify opportunities for urban improvement whilst developing the observational and drawing skills of the participants. Participants are encouraged to bring their own sketchbook and drawing materials but there will also be some materials on hand to share.

Benedict O’Looney is a Peckham based architect, architecture history lecturer for New York University’s London programme, architectural drawing teacher at Sir John Soane’s Museum and he also leads Thames architectural boat tours for Open-City. In addition to demonstrating sketching techniques, Benedict has been following the development of the Isle of Dogs for many years.

Important information related to all events:

Please note these events will be held in publicly accessible open space.

Please book all events via the Open House website.

Please note that events are subject to changes due to unforeseen circumstances / covid restriction changes.

Please contact lbth.regeneration@towerhamlets.gov.uk for clarifications or further information on any of these events.