“When snow falls on cities the child takes over
The child is everywhere rediscovering the city,
whilst in turn, the city rediscovers its children.
Revealing that something permanent, if less abundant is missing,
something which can still be provided
as a modest correction where there is room…”
Aldo van Eyck
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Diploma 11 refuses to view the city as a mere collection of buildings. Preferring to focus on the micro scale and the forgotten spaces, toys were chosen as the way to first infiltrate Central London. [caption id="attachment_2692" align="alignnone" width="360"]
Image credit: Topical Press Agency/Getty[/caption] A toy is really anything that can be used for play. Play is “a free activity standing quite consciously outside ‘ordinary life,’” and a crucial element to the shaping of socio-cultural identity, as argued by Johan Huizinga in Homo Ludens. Designing toys to play with the city enabled us to engage directly with London’s interiority. Cracks and interstices became our gateways into this year’s area of study. We disrupted the constant activity of the bustling streets, sought for hidden spaces and networks to interact with, and created new viewpoints to observe the city from. [caption id="attachment_2689" align="alignnone" width="360"]
