The Hand Car Wash is a street-level incarnation of the ‘meanwhile’ use of vacant urban sites. Operating at the very margins of legality within the cash economy, these sites use manual labour to replace a process which was once automated.
We documented 18 different Hand Car Wash sites in South London in 2013, using a combination of drawing and photography. The drawings explore a highly effective ‘minimum architecture’ which is used to advertise and provide a service with the bare minimum of resources.
The architectural adaptation required to transform a vacant site is strictly functional, often limited to the erection of a roof covering. A large number of different signs are used to advertise the service, using variations of an accepted design language of bold text and yellow backgrounds.
The relative consistency of approach highlights the great variety of sites being used for this purpose. These include former petrol stations and industrial sites, railway arches, and the forecourts of pubs and housing blocks.
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1
Herne Hill Car Wash
Herne Hill, SE24
2
Jamm Car Wash
Brixton Road, SW9
3
London Valeting Centre
Coldharbour Lane, SW9
4
Soapy Moo’s Car Wash
Herne Hill Road, SE24
5
Mo-Town Hand Car Wash
Loughborough Junction, SW9
6
Grange Hand Car Was
Grange Road, SE1
7
Shine Peckham Hand Car Wash
Copeland Road, SE15
8
Magic Hand Car Wash
Bedford Road, SW4
9
Newington Hand Car Wash
Newington Causeway, SE1
10
Borough Road Hand Car Wash
Borough Road, SE1
11
Fyco Hand Car Wash
Leake Street, SE1
12
Peckham Road Hand Car Wash
Peckham Road, SE15
13
Super Continental Hand Car Wash Parkhouse Road, SE5
14
Shorncliffe Road Hand Car Wash
Shorncliffe Road, SE1
15
Diamond Hand Car Wash
Ferndale Road, SW9
16
King’s Avenue Hand Car Wash
King’s Avenue, SW4
17
The In and Out Original Car Wash
Acre Lane, SW2
18
AVS Hand Car Wash
Southampton Way, SW5
1. Herne Hill Car Wash Location:
Herne Hill, SE24
Site:
Former petrol station
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
3 posters, 1 pole sign, 1 logo sign
2. Jamm Car Wash Location:
Brixton Road, SW9
Site:
Forecourt of pub
Adaptations:
Erection of gazebo, fenced enclosure, signage
Signage:
1 banner, 1 flag, 1 menu, 2 logo signs, 1 inflatable
3. London Valeting Centre Location:
Coldharbour Lane, SW9
Site:
Forecourt of housing block
Adaptations:
Erection of gazebo, fenced enclosure, signage
Signage:
2 posters, 2 billboards, 1 pole sign, 3 directional signs, 1 pavement sign
4. Soapy Moo‘s Car Wash Location:
Herne Hill Road, SE24
Site:
Railway arches
Adaptations:
Lean-to structure to accommodate offices, signage
Signage:
1 A-board, 1 banner, 3 posters, 2 directional signs, 1 logo sign
5. Mo-Town Hand Car Wash Location:
Loughborough Junction, SW9
Site:
Yard of industrial building
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
1 A-board, 2 banners, 2 posters, 1 projecting sign
6. Grange Hand Car Wash Location:
Grange Road, SE1
Site:
Existing industrial building
Adaptations:
Signage
Signage:
2 A-boards, 2 banners, 1 poster, 2 projecting signs, 1 logo sign
7. Shine Peckham Hand Car Wash Location:
Copeland Road, SE15
Site:
Existing purpose-built garage
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
1 A-board, 1 logo sign
8. Magic Hand Car Wash Location:
Bedford Road, SW4
Site:
Yard between church and retail units
Adaptations:
Corrugated steel roof structure, signage
Signage:
4 A-boards, 1 poster, 3 billboards
9. Newington Hand Car Wash Location:
Newington Causeway, SE1
Site:
Existing industrial building
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
1 A-board, 1 banner, 1 poster
Front 1. Herne Hill Car Wash Herne Hill, SE24
2. Jamm Car Wash Brixton Road, SW9
3. London Valeting Centre Coldharbour Lane, SW9
4. Soapy Moo’s Car Wash Herne Hill Road, SE24
5. Mo-Town Hand Car Wash Loughborough Junction, SW9
6. Grange Hand Car Wash Grange Road, SE1
7. Shine Peckham Hand Car Wash Copeland Road, SE15
8. Magic Hand Car Wash Bedford Road, SW4
9. Newington Hand Car Wash Newington Causeway, SE1
Interior
Detail
Front 10. Borough Road Hand Car Wash Borough Road, SE1
11. Fyco Hand Car Wash Leake Street, SE1
12. Peckham Road Hand Car Wash Peckham Road, SE15
13. Super Continental Hand Car Wash Parkhouse Road, SE5
14. Shorncliffe Road Hand Car Wash Shorncliffe Road, SE1
15. Diamond Hand Car Wash Ferndale Road, SW9
16. King’s Avenue Hand Car Wash King’s Avenue, SW4
17. The In & Out Original Car Wash Acre Lane, SW2
18. AVS Hand Car Wash Southampton Way, SW5
Interior
Detail
10. Borough Hand Car Wash Location:
Borough Road, SE1
Site:
Existing industrial building
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
2 A-boards, 2 posters, 1 billboard, 1 directional signs, 1 swinger sign
11. Fyco Hand Car Wash Location:
Leake Street, SE1
Site:
Railway arches
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
1 banner, 6 posters, 1 directional sign, 1 logo sign, 1 illuminating sign
12. Peckham Road Hand Car Wash Location:
Peckham Road, SE15
Site:
Existing industrial building
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
4 A-boards, 7 banners, 1 billboard, 3 directional signs
13. Super Continental Hand Car Wash Location:
Parkhouse Street, SE5
Site:
Existing industrial building
Adaptations:
Signage only
Signage:
1 banner, 4 posters, 2 billboards, 2 directional signs
14. Shorncliffe Road Car Wash Location:
Shorncliffe Road, SE1
Site:
Vacant corner site
Adaptations:
Erection of gazebo, signage
Signage:
1 A-board, 2 banners, 3 posters, 1 pole sign
15. Diamond Hand Car Wash Location:
Ferndale Road, SW9
Site:
Railway arches
Adaptations:
Purpose-made roof structure, signage
Signage:
3 A-boards, 5 directional signs, 1 menu, 1 pavement sign
16. King‘s Avenue Hand Car Wash Location:
King‘s Avenue, SW4
Site:
Forecourt of industrial site
Adaptations:
Erection of gazebo, signage
Signage:
2 A-boards, 2 posters, 1 directional sign, 1 menu, 1 logo sign
17. The In & Out Original Car Wash Location:
Acre Lane, SW2
Site:
Forecourt of vacant industrial site
Adaptations:
Portable cabins and gazebo, signage
Signage:
1 A-board, 2 banners, 1 pole sign, 2 directional signs, 1 menu, 1 logo sign
18. AVS Hand Car Wash Location:
Southampton Way, SW5
Site:
Parking lot
Adaptations:
Erection of gazebo, signage
Signage:
1 A-board, 1 banner, 2 posters, 4 billboards, 1 pavement sign
Signage taxonomy Pavement Signs Traffic cone banner Post and panel Swinger A-Board Inflatable air dancer
Wall-mounted signs Projecting sign Poster Banner Billboard
Other signs Dual post Single post Roof mounted Directional block Flag
UCL Cities Methodologies October 2014 Text and drawings by CarverHaggard Photographs by Matt Clayton