Norton Folgate, London 2024

Lara was commissioned by Universal Design Studio to create a series of bespoke handwoven curtains and artworks for British Land’s Norton Folgate development in Spitalfields, London.

Developed specifically for 15 Norton Folgate, the works respond to the site’s layered history - once home to a community of creatives and the historic Huguenot silk weavers. Drawing on her prior research into this topic, Lara reinterpreted elements of historic silk-weaving techniques through a contemporary lens. Subtle details, including deliberately slashed threads, reference the recorded stories and material language of the original weavers.

Alongside the finished curtains, a selection of samples and prototypes are framed and installed throughout the space, offering insight into the research and making behind the final pieces.

Read more: Universal Design Studio/Norton Folgate, Design Anthology; Stitched together, OnOffice; A rich history of craft, Mix Interiors; First look: Universal Design Studio celebrates Spitalfields’ craft legacy in new office scheme