Distriandina

Distriandina is one of the principal social and cultural hubs for the Latin American community in Elephant & Castle, London SE17. The project brings together a restaurant, bar and an internal market that supports a range of small, independently run businesses, including food vendors, money transfer services and legal advice, creating a vital ecosystem of everyday support, exchange and social life.

Studio Gil’s design approach is rooted in celebrating the lived experience of the community the space serves. The architecture draws inspiration from colloquial Latin American visual languages: bold pattern, colour, rhythm and materiality; translating these references into a contemporary spatial framework that is welcoming, legible and robust.

The internal market is conceived as a shared civic interior: flexible, highly animated and socially connective, enabling informal encounters alongside commercial activity. Careful consideration is given to visibility, accessibility and adaptability, allowing businesses to evolve over time.

Distriandina operates not only as a place of commerce, but as a social anchor, reinforcing cultural identity, supporting local livelihoods and sustaining the everyday networks that underpin Elephant & Castle’s Latin American community.