Public Art
Art is transformative, it shapes our landscapes and adds to the life in our neighbourhoods, it’s the connecting glue that binds us both to the past from the present, tying people back to their routes and history, and inspiring their futures.
At Brent Cross Town, which is the new neighbourhood being delivered as part of the Brent Cross Cricklewood regeneration programme, there are a number of iconic art murals and installation that have helped transform the area into a welcoming space for its existing and future community.
Brent Cross Town also has its very own art trail which guides you on where you can find them. Click here to download the art map. Please note that this map does not include all artwork inside Brent Cross West station, read on to find out more about that.
Drawing inspiration and ideas from the local community and a Barnet botanist who lived two centuries ago, Annu Kilpeläinen has created a euphoric mural of vibrant tropical colours tying together Brent Cross Town’s past with its exciting and joyous future.
Situated at the corner of Claremont Way and Road, this artwork welcomes people with open arms to the diverse and growing community of Brent Cross Town.
You would be forgiven for thinking it’s always summer at Claremont Park, at least it might feel that way beside Gussy’s Ice Cream Parlour, where a Rainbow of Ribbons are perpetually frozen in twisting spirals of a summer’s breeze.
Hanna Benihoud’s aptly named Rainbow of Ribbons is a dazzling around of colourful metal spirals, inspired by a sunny day in the park observing children at play, these playful ribbons seem whimsically full of motion and embody the attitudes of the children that inspired its creation.
Reminiscent of and as playful and colourful as an I Spy picture puzzle book, Yesterday, Tomorrow is a heartfelt ode to the people and stories that have shaped Brent Cross Town. Within the colourful and abstract graphics of the mural are a host of familiar imagery that call back to the heart of Barnet’s history and people who make it.
Steven Wilson has beautifully constructed the piece in a way that inspires intrigue and a sense of discovery. Seeing it in person, you can’t help but be drawn in and held for a moment longer to see what else you can spot within it.
Travelling along the vehicular arteries that criss-cross through the Brent Cross area, you might expect to see an array of bland buildings devoted to infrastructure, where in the only beauty of them is within their functions by bringing light and warmth to our homes.
Yet, as you approach Brent Cross Town you will something more akin to a rollercoaster, whose thrilling shape surrounds the beating heart that is the substation that powers the whole town. The vibrant colours of the structure transform as you travel around it due to its lenticular design, giving it a fluidity of movement much like the transit that surrounds it.
Developed by artist Lakwena and architecture practice IF_DO’s Sarah Castle, “Here we come, here we rise” perfectly captures the spirit of Brent Cross Town and what the infrastructure within the piece represents; be it the dawn of a new town or the glow of its nights, the titular text flows along the structure up to the peak where it culminates in the words “and shine.”
As part of our Brent Cross West station opening celebration, we collaborated with local artist Elisa Cantarelli who worked with over 60 volunteers in creating a brilliant community artwork displayed on the station overbridge, which for the first-time allows pedestrians to cross over the Midland Main Line since it was constructed 150 years ago, connecting communities in Barnet and Brent . Elisa hosted workshops in both boroughs and volunteers included students and teachers from Claremont Primary School and Mapledown School, and members from Age UK, and residents. Together, they re-used bottle tops to create the words and colourful dots, representing the beauty and diversity of the communities in both boroughs. You can see the artwork on display at Brent Cross West station.
Brent Cross West jumped on board Barnet Council’s public art trail ‘Barnet Legends’, which celebrates people from the past who have contributed to the borough’s unique culture. The plaque at Brent Cross West celebrates the famous activist, Muriel Matters, who was remembered for her bravery in advocating for women’s rights in London during the 20th century. To bring attention and promote the suffrage cause, Matters boarded an aircraft from West Hendon which had a ‘Vote for Women’ sign and dropped leaflets across the city.
