2023北京国际设计周

Once Upon A Time – Smithfield Market

For the 10th anniversary Clerkenwell Design Week would like to celebrate the history of the area, Clerkenwell is full of rich historical tales from wife sales to prison escapes. In May 2019 we want to bring these stories to life by creating vinyl manifestations along the route. Not only will the artworks themselves be inspired by the history, CDW has teamed up with Lansdown’s London to run tours during the festival.

CDW selected x6 locations for the project with significant historical stories. Out of the x6 locations, students were assigned x1 to design for. The design target must’ve inspired and told the story of the historical tale allocated.

Location Two – Smithfield Market

Smitherfield Market is the only remaining wholesale market in Central London, which is open to the public. The name Smithfield derives from the original name for the flat area – “smoothfield”.

Over the centuries, the market has expanded, introducing slaughterhouses and other trades linked to the butchery trade grew up in the area. There was a livestock market in Smithfield since at least 1146, which came to close in 1855, due to the location causing too many problems. The hours of trading are 2am – approx. 8am.

The current meat market, built in 1968 by Horace Jones, also designed Leadenhall and Billingsgate markets and Tower Bridge.

Over the centuries the market expanded and slaughter houses and other trades linked to the butchery trade also grew up in the area. By the late 18th – early 19th century, the market was also a venue for Wife Sales. A quick and easy way to end a marriage when divorce almost impossible.

By the mid-19th century thousands of animals a day were being driven through the streets of what was by then the world’s largest city and, in the words of Charles Dickens, the area was “ankle deep in filth and mire”.

Libby Bobe