empacity

empathy and connection through urban narratives

EMPACITY is a pop-up hair salon experience that took place at Euston Station courtyard, London. It aimed to catalyse social interaction and raise awareness of the current disconnection between people who, while physically sharing public spaces, are essentially ‘alone together’. EMPACITY also explored the question of what the role of public spaces should now be.

In this project, the fictitious ‘Hair & Tales’ salon offered weekday travellers waiting on their own a quick hair styling service, to be experienced in pairs. The bespoke design of a mirror that pivots to become a table transformed an individual experience into a shared one, creating a cafe-like environment that invited visitors to engage in conversation.

Inspired by the hair salon that was housed in Euston Station in the early 20th century, this urban intervention re-imagines the social typology of a salon by opening it up in public. EMPACITY sought to demonstrate how everyday public spaces can offer out-of-the ordinary, convivial experiences.

 

    Visit the event’s website here        

Beatriz Mickle

+ Nozomi Koseki│Shanshan Liu│Eve Jiratchaya│Pinyu Chen│Ronnie Chou│Lucas Lu│Tongyao Guan│Mak Gilchrist│Will Sandy│Rob Beckett│Natasha Mickle│Diandra Ferreira │Yolanda Aldridge

tutor: David Chambers

Major Project – MA Narrative Environments

Central Saint Martins, UAL

2016 – 2017