A bandstand will once again take pride of place in Mitcham Fair Green, marking one hundred years since the original bandstand stood in the town centre.

The new bandstand will bring alive the area’s heritage and take it into the future, providing a focal point for community events, and a platform for local culture and performances.

The bandstand will be placed at the heart of Fair Green during the summer months for at least the next three years.

It will be designed by Charles Holland Architects (CHA) – an award-winning British architecture practice – working with Raskl art and architectural production. CHA are experienced in community engagement and the team will involve local people in helping to shape the project.

The bandstand will be called ‘What Goes Around’, a reference to its use of recycled materials as well as the return of a bandstand to the area after one hundred years.

The original bandstand was assembled and put up in Mitcham in 1924, where it was a feature at local events and festivities. The Fair Green area was landscaped and new pleasure gardens added in 1925.

The original Mitcham bandstand, 1926.

Charles Holland has designed and created projects including ‘A House For Essex’, a collaboration with the artist Grayson Perry, and ‘It’s A Kind of Magic’, a temporary pavilion for Historic England in the grounds of Belsay Hall. More locally, he has worked on the rejuvenation of Thornton Heath Library. CHA are working as part of a large team revitalizing College Green in Croydon.

Raskl has been delivering creative public realm interventions for 20 years, notably the Colour Palace at Dulwich Picture Gallery for London Design Festival as well as public artworks and a number of city centre improvement schemes.

Improvements to Mitcham

Merton Council is revitalising Mitcham with improvements which involve and celebrate the local community and the area’s strong identity.

A big conversation took place with 800 people sharing their ideas on how the council could improve Mitcham’s local services and infrastructure. The feedback included improving public spaces in the town centre.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Civic Pride and Climate Change Councillor Eleanor Stringer said:

The new bandstand will be a celebration of Mitcham’s history and heritage as well as its future.

Mitcham’s community is so proud of this area and wants to see improvements made. The new bandstand will be at the heart of Fair Green, and is one of many ways we are revitalising the area – bringing it to life for everyone who lives, works and visits here.

We’re delighted to be working with Charles Holland Architects who will reach out to the community to involve them in this exciting project.

CHA practice principal Charles Holland said:

This is a lovely project to be involved in, something that we hope will add an important element of fun and spontaneity to Mitcham Fair Green. We are very happy to be working with the team at Merton Council, our collaborators at Raskl, and the people of Mitcham in developing ‘What Goes Around.