Smart Carpet
What if Cheapside could adapt to changing demands and become a destination in its own right, supporting public life to the area when its function as a vehicular link is less of a priority? ‘Smart Carpet’ is a living, thinking surface treatment that adaptively responds to user demand. Comprising of a series of paving modules, the Western end of Cheapside is revealed as an intelligent multi-functional system that supports energy creation, interlockable furniture, LED lighting displays and sensory recognition. These paving modules facilitate modular street furniture for social interaction, recreational zones for active health, street markets and exhibitions for cultural expression or commuter traffic during peak periods. It can also interact directly with pedestrians and motorists delivering wayfinding, street notifications and live localised news. ‘Smart Carpet’ innovates the western end of Cheapside into an adaptable, data driven, multi-functional space that curates public life through an intelligent, flexible street surface.