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“A Bench of Our Own” is about bringing stories together through dialogue and connection, inspired by the pioneering spirit of Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf."
Inspired by the pioneering women of the Bloomsbury Group—particularly Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf—“A Bench of Our Own” reimagines the traditional bench as a playful mini stage for gathering and conversation. Named as a playful nod to Bell’s painting and Woolf’s iconic essay, the design echoes their rejection of rigidity in favour of enjoyment, freedom, and artistic expression.
The aim of the seating experience is to do more than simply offer a place to rest; it aims to create a platform that amplifies stories—past and present— and encourages meaningful conversation.
Drawing on the designers’ experiences, the functional surface of a bench is merged with a sense of theatre, inviting people of all ages and abilities to pause, explore, and engage with the city around them.
About Us
Kamola Askarova is a multidisciplinary designer with experience in architecture and experiential design. Passionate about creating impactful spaces that blend innovation, sustainability, and storytelling across diverse industries, from events and exhibitions to art and architecture projects. Interest in bringing engaging and inclusive design and art into public spaces.
Shona Sharma is a dynamic professional in the film and television industry, blending creativity and technical expertise. With a background in architecture, she brings a distinctive approach to her work, merging design principles with visual storytelling.
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We discovered our shared love of creating immersive experiences while both studying architecture at the Bartlett, UCL and refining our craft at the Royal College of Art. Our backgrounds in architecture, experiential design, film, and set construction let us blend storytelling, sustainability, and craft into spaces that spark curiosity. Drawing on our diverse cultural backgrounds and years of living in London, we design with empathy and inclusivity, bringing people together through thoughtful interventions that creatively respond to their surroundings.
Fitzrovia is a neighbourhood that shaped our formative years. While studying at UCL, we lived in Fitzrovia and forged lasting memories of its welcoming community and bohemian charm. The festival theme, “Voices,” resonates strongly with our commitment to designing inclusive, playful spaces that celebrate different perspectives.
About Fora
Workspaces to make your everyday extraordinary
Experience the office like never before with Fora’s unique collection of over 70 uniquely designed workspaces across London, the UK and Germany.
Fora provide a seamless end-to-end workspace experience for teams of all sizes, offering beautifully designed private offices that are ready to move into or that can be tailored to your business. Fora’s 28,000+ members enjoy access to communal amenities across their collection, including over 500 bookable meeting rooms, gyms, cafés, event spaces, roof terraces and more, plus their dedicated Member Experience team are on hand to take care of all the details.
Why are we sponsoring a Fitz&Sits seat?
We are proud to sponsor a seat as part of the Fitz&Sits initiative. As an active business with 13 buildings in Fitzrovia, we wanted to get involved and celebrate the neighbourhood we’re so invested in.
With the launch of our newest workspace on Great Titchfield Street this June, we’re excited to give Fitzrovia a taste of Douglas House. Just a stone’s throw from the workspace, the seat installation is heavily inspired by the bespoke and distinctive design of Douglas House, showcasing the creativity and character that define our spaces. We’re also excited to see the installation bring more people to the area and help celebrate the vibrancy and charm of Fitzrovia.
What does it mean to us?
For us, it’s about celebrating the community we’re proud to be a part of. Fitzrovia is a place full of creativity, character and connection – qualities that align closely with our own values at Fora. Supporting this initiative is a way for us to give something back to the neighbourhood, contribute to its public spaces, and invite more people to discover everything Fitzrovia has to offer.
We’re excited to be launching our 13th Fitzrovia workspace this June, just down the road from the seat installation. Find out more about Douglas House here: https://www.foraspace.com/london-workspaces/douglas-house
Fitzrovia is a Destination for the 2025 Festival which will be a Fitzrovia-wide celebration with more than 20 events throughout June.
From exhibitions to workshops to talks to trails to installations to performances, there are many exciting events to enjoy.
Fitzrovia Lates takes place on Thursday 26 June from 6pm – 9pm and is a diverse and inclusive evening of events, workshops and exhibitions for Londoners and visitors to explore architectural practices in the district.
Developed collaboratively with local stakeholders, these events bring together creativity, community and city-making practices which reflect the unique identities of people and the area.
View all the events which are part of Fitzrovia Destination.
The Fitzrovia Partnership provides a cohesive approach to help businesses achieve shared objectives and as an area we are making great strides to achieve a more economic and environmentally sustainable district. 
Fiona Clark, Board Member
Practice Director and Co-owner, David Miller Architects
