Seven Sisters Temporary Market, London Borough of Haringey for Places for London with Places for London in-house architects, Etec Group construction

Seven Sisters Temporary Market, London Borough of Haringey for Places for London with Places for London in-house architects, Etec Group construction

 

Seven Sisters Market first opened around 50 years ago, however, following its closure in 2020 due to health and safety concerns, surveys found the building to be in a dangerous condition preventing it from reopening. Since then, Places for London has worked with the traders and London Borough of Haringey to bring the much-loved market back to life ensuring that the community affected by the closure were part of the works throughout

 

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Describe the context of this project, its neighbourhood and people.

 

Seven Sisters Market first opened around 50 years ago and in recent years had become a hub for London’s Latin American community, however, following its closure in 2020 due to health and safety concerns, surveys found the building to be in a dangerous condition preventing it from reopening.
Since then, Places for London has worked with the traders and stakeholders including Mayor of London, the London Borough of Haringey and The Wards Corner Community Benefit Society (CBS) to bring the much-loved market back to life ensuring that the community affected by the closure were part of the works throughout.
In 2014 the market was listed as an Asset of Community Value by Haringey Council, confirming its importance for the local community and as a symbol for the diversity and community in the area.
The new temporary indoor and outdoor market is now open, with 40 vibrant stalls ready to welcome visitors, providing an eclectic mix of south American street foods, fashion and beauty products among others.
Places for London has been working with traders and local groups to bring forward a market that not only offers retail facilities but also facilities that stakeholders have requested – such as a new allocated space for community, which would have otherwise been used for retail space. Additionally, communication with individual traders led to tailored interior designs of the units and specific placements in a constrained site.

 

Tell us what you did and how the project, event or installation enlivened the place in a creative way? 

 

For the past four years, Seven Sisters Market has been closed with little street activation or focus for people passing or using the nearby Tube station. Traders have not been able to participate in the community that they have helped create while the market was closed. Opening the market up again has helped restore the vibrancy and excitement to the area, enlivening the street experience and allowing the community to thrive in the area once more. The market is split into two parts – indoor and outdoor. The outdoor part of the market provides space for food vendors and a seating area, with traders from individual units creating their own menus and offering a variety of Latin American flavours, which are fast becoming a destination venue for food enthusiasts from across the capital. The indoor area provides access to beauty treatments, groceries and fashion units. The community facility - where among other things, youth play, learning programmes, drop in events and community activities take place - has been built at the front of the market to invigorate the street and give visibility to the events that take place within it. The Wards Corner Community Benefit Society are running community events from within to ensure the traders and residents in the area are supported. 
We have also provided a new route between Suffield Road and Seven Sisters Road improving access to the the Tube station.

 

Did the project make a positive social and environmental contribution? If it was a temporary intervention, is there a legacy plan? What happened to its tenants, users, materials and programming?

 

Communication with all traders has been central to the reopening of the market, helping to ensure the new market was tailored to their needs, with meetings setting out how the market units should be fitted out. Many of those who were trading from the former market have returned to the new site selling a wide variety of goods and services. The day-to-day operations at the market are run by Market Place who are on-site to ensure all is running smoothly and that locals and traders can get the best out of the new site. The past five years have been difficult for the traders, with many unable to trade while works were ongoing. To help ease them back, Places for London has given tenants reduced rents from the first 15 months and fitted units as well as providing business support to ensure traders succeed with the reopening of their businesses. Seven Sisters Market is a truly special location and Places has worked hard to retain the Latin American culture and vitality of the original market, while allowing it to operate safely again in new units. Small businesses such as those at Seven Sisters Market are a vital part of London’s wonderfully diverse culture, and we will continue to work with traders and Haringey Council to bring forward a long-term solution that ensures the market is able to thrive at the heart of the local community.