Wahaca, Southbank Project

This temporary restaurant, launched during the Southbank’s summer long Festival of the World, has been built from 2 rows of 4 recycled shipping containers, arranged in a 2 storey overhanging structure, allowing space for 130 diners, a bar and outdoor seating on the external terrace of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. The containers have been modified with large windows overlooking the river to create a series of interlinked open spaces. The vibrant and random colourscheme of the containers provides a contrast to the stark concrete architecture of the Southbank Centre. It is also reminiscent of the brightly painted facades of a Mexican street as well as a reminder of the working history of the River Thames.