TBWA\MCR, in partnership with renowned UK artist Stuart Semple and HostileDesign.org, has unveiled a new campaign to spotlight the disturbing rise of hostile architecture in urban environments.
The project features a series of ambient posters, each meticulously designed to be a bespoke fit for a site of anti-homeless spikes built into doorways and paved areas, with the real spikes piercing the images of sleeping people to graphically show the inhumanity of these areas.
Hostile architecture is designed specifically to make homeless individuals feel unwelcome and uncomfortable in public spaces and has become increasingly prevalent in UK towns and cities.
Each piece of the TBWA\MCR creative serves as a stark reminder of the cruel measures employed to deter the homeless, making the campaign both original and eye-catching.
Photography of the in-situ images forms the basis of a social media campaign launching today (Monday) to raise awareness of hostile design and encourage people to support Stuart Semple’s hostiledesign.org campaign.
Gary Fawcett, executive creative director, TBWA\MCR: “Life is hard enough for people forced to live on the streets. We were shocked to discover this type of design exists and in some cases is commissioned by our own councils. We felt compelled to create something that would help to raise awareness and educate people on the harsh reality of living rough.”
Semple added: “I’m so pleased TBWA\MCR are getting behind the campaign. Hostile Design is so insidious that it’s often easy to miss the true intention of it. Raising awareness so that people can spot what’s happening in the public realm for me has always been the first step in shifting the culture. At the end of the day, design shouldn’t be perverted to harm the vulnerable and city planners and designers should be using their talents to include, nurture and support communities.”
