Yinka Ilori reimagines a laundromat (or launderette) in London as a playful, interactive installation for kids. The London-based, British-Nigerian artist and designer collaborated with LEGO to create the Launderette of Dreams, a feat that required over 200,000 bricks to complete. The vibrant play space, inspired by children’s creative optimism and resilience, looks to Ilori’s memories as a child visiting a local launderette in North London with his family. During those visits, he tuned into his imagination and learned to turn the mundane into something more enjoyable. The Launderette of Dreams features Ilori’s bold, signature aesthetic with a kaleidoscope of colors and geometric patterns used to create a series of washing machines, vending machines (dispensing LEGO toys instead of soap) and everything else you’d find in a laundromat, except they’re ready for play.
Yinka Ilori
The Launderette of Dreams is a very personal project for me because I spent a lot of time during my childhood at the launderette. It was where I could dream about the things I wanted to achieve. We often forget about the mundane spaces which play an important role in bringing the community and people from different cultures and backgrounds together, as well as providing an opportunity for kids to meet, play and share ideas.
– Yinka Ilori
The design gives nod to the children at Ilori’s former primary school, St Jude & St Paul’s C of E, who joined him at a local launderette. He asked the young kids to think about how they’d transform the space for the better and how it could bring the community together. Building off of their playful ideas, Ilori turned the interior into a joyful, imaginative space where kids can meetup, play around and share their ideas.
Kids and families are encouraged to play at the various interactive stations where they can see how joy is able to arise from approaching everyday life with the same enthusiasm and optimism as a child.
The installation is part of the LEGO Group’s Rebuild the World campaign, which highlights children’s creativity, inspires them to picture a better world and shows how LEGO play can aid in their skill development they’d need to be successful in it.
Yinka Ilori
The Launderette of Dreams installation is free and open to the public until November 6th from 10am – 6pm at 133 – 135 Bethnal Green Rd, London, E2 7DG.
Photos by Mark Cocksedge.
Caroline Williamson is Editorial Director of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.
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