The Secrets of St James's

Squire & Partners, together with creative agency Mr President, created an installation that revealed hidden stories of this historic part of London and forms part of an ongoing placemaking project that aims to reposition St James’s as an area of the city with a distinctive culture and heritage.

Situated in St James’s Market, the interactive installation features a uniquely forged 3D map of the area made from conductive brass, giving a bird’s eye view of the area that visitors can explore with their fingertips.

Conductive sensors within the map illuminate the surrounding wooden cabinets to reveal 18 untold secrets of the area, including where Jimi Hendrix performed his first show in the UK, and where the bowler hat, spectacles and the scotch egg were all invented. Each cabinet is made up of a series of boxes that represent each individual story and contain a combination of artefacts, descriptions and 3D elevations printed on to LED-lit card. A specifically chosen palette of colours was used to enhance and create an eye-catching exhibition, whilst complementing the ambient tones of the area.