A Hostile Architecture Tour Around London

Hostile architecture has fascinated me for a while now. As a disclaimer, I am no architect or would even dare to call myself an expert on the history of architecture. However, the interaction between machines (or technology in general) and humans, and hence the way we model and build our environment has always been part of my work.

My earliest memories with regards to what nowadays would be described as hostile architecture goes back to my childhood: We used to play football with the other kids in the backyard of the block of flats where my family lived. The backyard was separated from the next garden by a wall which had shards of glass embedded in concrete on the top. To the dismay of my mother, I had to climb that wall rather often due to our overexcited way to play ball, and I cut myself several times.

Funny enough, I also remember that already as a child I made comments (towards my parents) about how brutal I found the idea to deliberately build a wall with the purpose of hurting someone. (Those embedded glass shards were quite popular in Germany, and though I have not seen this make-shift method in Britain, it likely exists from a time when ready made devices were not available.)

A more aggressive modern variation of the classic Georgian metal fence in Euston Square

While I believe that the term hostile architecture is rather recent, the idea is not. As Dean Harvey pointed out in an interview, many Georgian-era houses have spikes on walls and fences. What I believe to be a newer development is the addition of hostile elements to otherwise simplistic architecture and hence create a more off-putting and aggressive effect, as well using sophisticated subliminal method to disguise the wanted effect.

I have read about many example of hostile architecture in London and decided to take a tour to see them myself, and find others. So here we go:

Benchmarking Hostility

Benches have become a prime example of hostile architecture, with the primary purpose of keeping homeless people from sleeping. As the simplest approach, benches are separated into segments. Those benches felt almost always uncomfortable to sit on.

A separated bench to prevent homeless people from sleeping

One of the legendary “Camden Benches” in Great Queen Street, Covent Garden

The legendary “Camden Benches”, especially commissioned by Camden Council in 2012, go one step further and have sparked quite some debate. Designed to make it somewhat possible to “rest” and sit down, they are so uncomfortable that even on a busy afternoon in Covent Garden no-one was sitting on them at all.

Bench in Aldwych, in front of St Clement Danes Church, separated bench with some metal (possible christian) elements thrown in as good measure

Benches at the Royal Courts of Justice, an impressive attempt to blend in with the historic architecture

Other hostile benches, like the ones in front of the Royal Courts of Justice, try to blend in with the environment by using the same limestone used for the building itself. Despite this, the stainless steel separators are giving the real motivation away.

Benches, well, chairs really, in Southwark, not exactly an inviting social space

I have seen many public spaces, especially squares, where benches have now been replaced with “chairs”, making not only sleeping impossible, but removing the elementary aspect of gathering in a public place impossible, too.

I have found those chairs in Southwark and several places in Brixton (e.g. Windrush Square).

Spikes and Thorns

Spikes, often called “anti-homeless spikes”, are supposed to keep people from sleeping or even resting or “loitering”. They appear to be extremely popular with office buildings and are clearly one step up on the aggressiveness scale.

What boggles my mind that in many instances the spikes are in places where I would not see any harm in someone sitting there at all (or not even expect someone to sit down), and they appear sometimes to be more of an aggressive statement.

Spikes outside the Warner Media offices, Kensington

Spikes in Charing Cross

Spikes at an office window in Fleet Street

Spikes at an office “window”, Strand

Subtle Approaches

There are more subtle approaches you can easily miss, often “anti-skateboarding” elements added to otherwise plain architecture.

Subtle elements (likely anti-skateboarding) on a “bench”, or wall, in Southbank, near the OXO tower

Hostile Creativity vs Pure Aggression

Some approaches pretend to be “artistic” elements, I was especially impressed by the shining balls at the PWC offices in Charing Cross. Those appear to be rather new as I have seen pictures of concrete spikes in the same place.

“Artistic” elements at the entrance to PWC offices in Charing Cross, I have seen some older images of concrete spikes in the same place

The other extreme are military grade fences, medieval guards and pointless pointy spikes as ornaments. I would love to be a fly on the wall in a meeting where those designs are decided. Did someone really say “Make it as brutal as possible”?

Maybe inspired by a medieval mace, in front of a window in the Covent Garden area

I am not absolutely sure what those spikes prevent, but they are not welcoming

One of the most aggressive fences I have seen so far, at a small office building in Loughborough Junction

I was surprised how many examples of hostile architecture I found by just walking around, and I focused only on those hostile elements which serve a specific purpose. I would like to dive into the general architecture of modern cities at some point in the future.

I am curious where this development will lead us: Cities are already a hostile place for many people, the lack of welcoming social space is obvious in London, especially to someone who has seen cities abroad. The purpose of making live unbearable for certain groups is bad enough, but hostile architecture creates, in a subliminal way, an unpleasant environment for everyone. The fact that councils like Camden encourage this trend rather then fighting it is not a good sign.

For More see A Hostile Architecture Tour Around London — Part 2

All Images are © 2022 Wolfgang Hauptfleisch CC-BY 2.0