Leake Street Arches

As London’s largest legal street art tunnel, Leake Street links Lower Marsh with the South Bank and has made its name as a democratic cultural venue for street art. Now known as Leake Street Arches, the LCR development project brings eight former railway arches back to life, providing a curated collection of independent restaurants, bars and performance spaces.

Maynard was commissioned to create a new wayfinding strategy for the regeneration site. This included an audit of the site and wider area, providing strategic recommendations in order to improve its public awareness, recognition, foot traffic and overall user experience.

Leake Street is London’s most recognised legal street art tunnel, located beneath Waterloo Station. No two visits are ever the same, with art literally finding form overnight. Uncovering a vibrant underground art scene, Maynard designed a wayfinding system that breaks the rules and responds to its environment, curating a destination that connects local art and culture with wider audiences.

The end system employs innovative materials and techniques to allow signage to form part of the artistic canvas. Inspired by block-style graffiti, continuous lines and solid shading create form and presence. Constructed using 3D perforated panels and self-illumination, the signage itself can be graffitied repeatedly without compromising its content, delivering a cohesive visual voice for the site.