Winter Windows is a collaboration between a group of children aged 8-11 from Hill Mead Primary School and designers from Squire and Partners.

Over the course of two workshops run by the practice, children were challenged to create expressive winter shapes based around emotions or senses such as excitement, light or cold. Children explored these alongside more traditional winter symbols such as snowflakes, sweets and gingerbread men.

The children were asked to refine their idea to one continuous line, which did not cross over itself or have any sharp angles. Armed with paper, pens, string and pipe cleaners, the children progressed initial ideas, which were then tested in rope or the ‘line of light’ on a large floor area.

A panel of judges from Squire and Partners selected eight winning designs varying from ice skaters to steaming mugs of hot chocolate! Squire and Partners’ modelshop team then transformed the children’s sketches into physical light installations, by creating a CNC cut channel into a sheet of perspex, into which a continuous strip of LED light could be set.

Occupying an entire glazing panel of The Department Store, Winter Windows formed part of Brixton’s Christmas Light display throughout December and January.