BLOG: We‘re proud of our investment in the Stockwell Hall of Fame - By Sidi Buhari

We at Network Homes believe in giving something back to the communities we serve. A prime example of our efforts was unveiled in May when we reopened the Stockwell Hall of Fame, a world-famous graffiti pen in in Lambeth, South London.

By Sidi Buhari, Resident Liaison Officer, Network Homes

Located on the Stockwell Park Estate, it’s been around for decades and stands as a landmark not only in Stockwell but for the world of graffiti art. A quick google search and you’ll see why it’s high on many lists of places for artists to visit and it’s one of best-known legal spots to paint. 

I think it would’ve been easy to simply to develop housing on this site, so it was great that we decided to revamp the pen as a community asset instead. We didn’t want to lose the true essence of what this area means to local people. I also believe it’s important to show that we’re not just a faceless developer, building new homes and refurbishing existing ones without thinking of the community.

So after consulting with residents, local artists and architects over the past few years we were able to come up with a project that could open up the graffiti pen for more use, make it more welcoming (especially to children) and showcase consistently changing artwork.

What improvements have we actually made to the pen? Well we’ve managed to create a space that not only hosts art but films, sport and much more. It’s been opened up giving artists and guests a place to sit and socialise. Interior wall spaces have been retained to allow artists to continue working and a new podium in the middle has been installed to act as a signpost for the area as well as allowing movies to be shown at future events.

We’ve also renovated a well-lit multiuse sports area allowing people of all ages to play sport within the local area. 

Overall the refurbished graffiti pen showcases the investment that Network Homes has been pouring into Stockwell Park since 2007. We’ve refurbished 457 homes, built six new housing developments and created 473 new homes. We’ve also spent £1.8 million refurbishing the local community centre.

For more images check out the Stockwell Hall Of Fame Facebook page where pictures of the artwork are constantly added.  You can also check out our short film about the pen below.