James Powell: Dovecote for London

Pigeons are a controversial species. Few other animals are so intertwined with the places we live, yet pigeons often make us feel more revulsion than respect.

In Dovecote for London, James Powell digs into the shared histories of humans and pigeons. He focuses on the designed objects and tools which have made up this history, from musical instruments to agricultural infrastructure. For James, the pigeon is a gateway to understanding the changing relationship between humans and other animal species: an evolution in roles from companions to pests.

In this display, James proposes a design for a new dovecote: a home for pigeons. This would form part of a citywide agricultural system providing guano (pigeon poo) to urban farms for use as fertiliser. Rather than separated into isolated nature reserves, the project imagines a city designed for different species to better live together.