New coffee-inspired pocket park opens in Petticoat Lane

A new pocket park inspired by the everyday ritual of meeting for coffee has opened on New Goulston Street, Aldgate, as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2026.

Commissioned by Aldgate Connect BID and designed by OUT Architecture, Macchiato transforms an underused corner of Petticoat Lane into a welcoming public space for gathering, resting and connecting.

Situated outside the existing café, The Colombian Coffee Company, Macchiato takes its name from the Italian meaning of “trace”. Inspired by the circular stain left behind by a coffee cup, the installation reimagines this familiar mark as a shared bench in the public realm.

The design draws on the colours and materiality of coffee production. Stainless steel references the machinery used in coffee preparation, while the cork’s texture and warm tones evoke the natural origins of coffee beans.

The installation reflects both The Colombian Coffee Company’s mission as a social enterprise focused on community impact and ethical trade, and Petticoat Lane’s longstanding role as a place of commerce and cultural exchange. Macchiato draws these threads together, connecting the site’s everyday use with the area’s wider history.

Fabrication has been developed in collaboration with Red Collective and Jamps Studio, and planting design by Susanna Grant of LINDA and Will Scholey of Scholey Garden Design with thanks to Spitalfields City Farm, RosyBee, Beth Chatto Nursery and Provender Nursery.

Located at 13 New Goulston Street, Macchiato is free to visit and open 24 hours a day throughout June 2026 and beyond.

As part of the London Festival of Architecture programme, Macchiato will host public activity throughout June, including Crafting Spaces for Belonging: Community Knitting Workshops on 13 and 26 June and live Colombian folk music on 11, 18 and 25 June from 12-2pm.

Ella Bothamley, Placemaking Project Manager, Aldgate Connect BID, added:

“We are delighted to see Macchiato brought to life as a new public space in Aldgate. From the start, the design competition sought ideas that offered a meaningful response to London Festival of Architecture’s theme of ‘Belonging’ and OUT Architecture’s proposal stood out for its simple, but powerful interpretation.

“Working closely with key stakeholders, partners, and The Colombian Coffee Company, the new pocket park has transformed an underutilised corner into a welcoming space, reflective of Petticoat Lane’s diverse heritage and character. We’re grateful to everyone involved in making this project possible and look forward to seeing how this fantastic space is used and enjoyed by the community in the months ahead.”

Francesco Nardacci, Architect, OUT Architecture said:

“We’re delighted to see Macchiato realised in the public realm as part of this year’s London Festival of Architecture. It has been exciting to bring the project from concept to completion in such a specific and vibrant context, and to contribute to the wider life of Petticoat Lane and the surrounding neighbourhood. We look forward to seeing how the community will engage with the installation over time, and how new and spontaneous uses will emerge as people begin to relate to and inhabit the new space in their own ways.”

Eliza Grosvenor, Head of Public Programme, NLA, said:

“Belonging is often built through small, everyday moments, and Macchiato captures this beautifully. Drawing inspiration from the shared experience of meeting over coffee, the project reimagines an underused corner of the city as a welcoming place for conversation, connection and community. It demonstrates the London Festival of Architecture’s commitment to showcasing how design can strengthen relationships between people and place.”

Location:
Macchiato
Outside The Colombian Coffee Company
13 New Goulston Street
London
E1 7QD