Pop-up square beats 200 metre structure to win architecture design competition

The world’s tallest wooden tower will not be coming to Wembley.

The 200 metre ‘splinter’ sculpture lost out in a competition where the winning design will take pride of place at a temporary site near the National Stadium.

The timber frame was one of 12 proposals submitted as part of the architecture contest, organised by Brent Council and The Royal College of Art (RCA).

The winner has been announced as a ‘Pop-Down Square’ by RCA students Mike Lim, Shoichi Sado, Olivia Wright and Isobel Davies.

The building will provide an amphitheatre, outdoor cinema and a multi-purpose public space for five years.

The plans will go ahead subject to permission from Brent Council.

Alex Hearn from Brent Council’s Regeneration and Major Projects team said: “Pop-Down Square is such a neat response to the brief. It provides for a variety of internal and external uses, successfully improves the public realm and can cope with the rigours of major events in the Wembley area.

“It’s now up to someone to come up with an equally amazing idea on how the space could be used.

“All of the students worked incredibly hard on the competition and I want to thank them all for their efforts.”

The project uses land owned by Quintain and the Greater London Authority that is being made available ahead of its long-term redevelopment as part of Quintain’s 85-acre Wembley City regeneration.

Local organisations, individuals, businesses and community groups are now being urged to bid to become tenants of the Pop-Down Square as part of a nationwide competition.

For more information visit www.comingsoonclub.co.uk.