Unheard Voices pavilion spotlights "people who keep things running while most of us sleep"

UK studios POOR Collective and Wiggle Wonderland have designed an artwork-covered pavilion to draw attention to the City of London's night workers.

Named Unheard Voices in the City, the colourful open-air pavilion was designed by Wiggle Wonderland to frame a series of artworks designed by POOR Collective in collaboration with local night-shift workers.

The pavilion was located in St Bartholomew's Hospital courtyard as part of this summer's London Festival of Architecture, and designed for the London Museum to celebrate the City of London's night-shift workers.

According to Living Wage Foundation research, 26 per cent of the workforce in London work at night or during the evening.

"The main concept for the installation was to spotlight the unheard voices of the City of London's night market traders, hospital staff and black cab drivers," POOR Collective architectural designer Akmaral Khassen told Dezeen.

"The artwork was co-designed with Smithfield's night-time communities, celebrating their stories."

Each of the bold artworks was created in collaboration with night workers, with POOR Collective conducting surveys and drawing sessions at St Bartholomew's Hospital, Fabric nightclub and Ferrari's 24-hour cafe.

"Night workers play a vital role in the City of London's functioning, but there is limited data on their needs and experiences," said Khassen.

"Through thoughtful dialogue and research, we uncovered the aspirations, stories, and experiences of these communities, while also discovering more about the hidden nightlife that shapes the city."

The artworks were hung from a coral-coloured timber structure, which was reclaimed from a previous project designed by Wiggle Wonderland to be an open-air art gallery.

Now dismantled, the weatherproof MDF artworks will be reused elsewhere by the London Museum.

Overall, POOR Collective hopes that the pavilion has highlighted both the challenges faced by night workers and the benefits they bring to the city.

"It's easy to overlook the workers and communities who keep things running while most of us sleep," explained Khassen.

"By sharing their stories in a bold way, we wanted to highlight both the challenges they face and the value they bring."

POOR Collective, which is an acronym for power out of restriction, is a design studio that aims to engage young people in overhauling London's public spaces. It was recently awarded the Emerging Design Medal at London Design Festival for its impact on the city's design scene.

To mark the occasion, we rounded up eight must-know projects by the social-impact design studio.

The photography is by Andy Stagg.

London Festival of Architecture 2025 took place from 1 to 30 June 2025 at various locations across London. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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