Often dismissed as derelict or marginal, urban wildscapes are frequently overgrown with vegetation and host a wide range of human and non- human activities. Once seen as undesirable, these spaces have been re-evaluated, notably in the book Urban Wildscapes by Anna Jorgensen and Richard Keenan, which argues for their value in shaping more sustainable design, planning and management of the wider urban landscape.
Children's literature often portrays wildscapes as places of adventure and imagination, contrasting with the limited access many children living in urban areas have to such environments. Shel Silverstein's poem “Where the Sidewalk Ends” evokes this idea of a joyful, in-between world, away from the sometimes harsh realities of cities.
This proposal envisions a space where children can engage with urban wildlife through outdoor workshops and hands-on activities, supported by a flexible, pavilion-style teaching space. Located on a car park within the Brandon Estate in Kennington, adjacent to Kennington Park, the site offers potential to enhance biodiversity and create a more child- friendly landscape.
The Young Rewilders' Pavilion aims to become a community beacon, with the building acting as a “third teacher,” embodying the values it promotes. The surrounding landscape would be reimagined and reclaimed by the local community - shifting from a modernist idealised picturesque landscape into a wildscape.
Here, in a hidden corner “where the sidewalk ends,” a reimagined cottage awaits discovery off the main path, among trees and overgrown vegetation - offering a shared refuge for children, animals, and plants alike.