Macchiato
New coffee-inspired pocket park in Aldgate’s Petticoat Lane for London Festival of Architecture 2026
Built
Photos: Federico Farinatti
Macchiato is a pocket park inspired by the everyday ritual of meeting for coffee, designed by OUT Architecture for Aldgate Connect BID as part of the London Festival of Architecture 2026. Installed on New Goulston Street in Aldgate, the project transforms an underused corner of Petticoat Lane into a small civic space dedicated to everyday encounters, rest and social interaction.
Its name derives from the Italian word “macchiato”, meaning “marked” or “stained”, and references the circular trace left by a coffee cup on a table, an ordinary gesture reinterpreted as a shared bench in the public realm.
The design draws on the colours and materiality of coffee production. Stainless steel recalls the machinery and tools associated with coffee preparation, while cork introduces warmth, tactility and a natural reference to the agricultural 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.