Project Description
Mural of Shakespeare at The Globe located in the pedestrian underpass at London Road, North Side entrance.
A series of murals were commissioned by Southwark Council in 1991 to cover the walls of the seven pedestrian subways which ran underneath Elephant and Castle roundabout. Originally constructed in 1958 as part of the new street system implemented at the Elephant and Castle, involving the creation of the roundabout and funnel road New Kent Road, the subways connected the two exits of the Underground as well as opposite sides of the streets for pedestrians. Covering tiles laid in the 50’ss, seven of the subways were painted between 1991 and 1994 by a team of artists’ and poster painters. Distinct themes existed for each of the passages, ranging from aquatic life, to animals in the jungle, to scenes of the daily commute, to notable people and places in the local area. David Bratby led the work in five of the seven underpasses, and has since returned to the site to give talks and tours about the murals in the aid of local campaign to stop their demolition. They were demolished as part of the investment program and streetscape redesign of the Roundabout led by Transport for London, designed by Sterling Prize award-winning architects Witherford Watson Mann.
