Two leading members of the Collective Cultures group, OMMX and YAA Projects, have been appointed by the Mayor of London to design and deliver the architectural setting for The Wake—a powerful new memorial by artist Khaleb Brooks dedicated to the victims of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Announced by Sir Sadiq Khan and backed by a £500,000 commitment from the Greater London Authority (GLA), the project marks a significant moment in London’s ongoing effort to confront its historical links to slavery and to create a lasting space for reflection, remembrance, and unity.
The Wake takes the form of a nearly seven-metre-high bronze sculpture shaped like a cowrie shell—an object that carries layered meanings within African and diasporic cultures. Once a symbol of beauty, wealth, and spiritual connection, the cowrie shell later became a currency used by European traders to purchase enslaved Africans. In this work, artist Khaleb Brooks reclaims and reimagines the symbol as one of endurance and transformation, honouring the strength and creativity of Black communities whose histories are entwined with London’s own development.
Visitors will be able to enter the sculpture through two accessible openings marked by bronze sugar loaf moulds, which reference the sugar industry’s deep reliance on enslaved labour. Inside, engraved poems by poet Yrsa Daley-Ward line the ramp, while the walls bear the names of known enslaved individuals alongside blank spaces representing those lost to record. The interior becomes a contemplative space for memory, grief, and collective healing—a quiet monument that speaks through its silence.
The memorial will stand on the north dockside of West India Quay, next to the Museum of London Docklands, a site chosen for its powerful historical resonance. The surrounding warehouses were built to store goods such as sugar, rum, and coffee—products of the slave economy. As one of London’s few remaining physical links to the city’s role in the slave trade, West India Quay serves as both witness and testament. The location ensures that The Wake is grounded not only in remembrance but also in the geography of Britain’s colonial legacy, transforming a site of commerce into a place of truth and reconciliation.
The architectural setting, led by OMMX and YAA Projects, will be shaped through a community-led process, inviting Londoners—particularly from African and Caribbean communities—to participate in workshops, planting, and storytelling initiatives. This approach reflects the collective’s belief that architecture should emerge from shared experience and collective authorship, ensuring that the memorial becomes a living, inclusive public space rather than a static monument.
Nana Biamah-Ofosu, Director of YAA Projects and a member of Collective Cultures, noted: “This memorial holds such importance for Black and diaspora communities in London. In addition to providing space for memory, its architectural setting – a new public space for London – will be a place for all Londoners to come together. As a collective made up of small and diverse-led architecture practices, a project like this engages with our core values: to build on our shared experiences of living and growing in London, and to shape a more equitable, fairer, and representative city through architecture and design.”
OMMX, known for their work in challenging and sensitive contexts, bring experience from socially responsive projects including a GLA-funded scheme to construct 22 experimental and affordable homes in Enfield for a not-for-profit developer, and two exhibitions for the Victoria and Albert Museum aimed at supporting the museum’s net-zero goals. Their practice is rooted in sustainable innovation and a sensitivity to place.
YAA Projects, meanwhile, is a design and research studio deeply engaged with counter-histories and material cultures across the African diaspora. Their work includes the ArchiAfrika Pavilion—a gathering space for African and diaspora creatives—and the exhibition Tropical Modernism: Architecture & Power in West Africa, which explored the evolution of postcolonial architectural identity in Ghana and beyond. Both practices share a commitment to inclusivity and representation in the built environment, values that lie at the heart of The Wake.
Dr. Debbie Weekes-Bernard, Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, welcomed the collaboration, saying: “It’s great that artist Khaleb Brooks will collaborate with architects OMMX and YAA Projects to realise The Wake. The new memorial will be a stark reminder of the pain and suffering caused by the Transatlantic Slave Trade, while honouring the achievements of descendant communities. It will be an important new addition to the capital’s public realm, offering Londoners a place for reflection and education as we continue to build a better and fairer London for everyone.”
At nearly seven metres high, The Wake is designed as both a sculpture and an experience—a space to pause, rest, and reflect. Inside its curved bronze walls, visitors are invited to listen to their own thoughts, to history, and to one another. Chosen from a shortlist of six proposals after a public consultation in 2024 that received thousands of votes, the project stands as a testament to collective decision-making and the power of public engagement.
The project team includes artist Khaleb Brooks and design team Collective Cultures (OMMX and YAA Projects), commissioned by the Greater London Authority. The memorial will be installed beside the Museum of London Docklands at West India Quay. More information can be found at Memorial to Victims of Transatlantic Slavery – London.gov.uk.
For press enquiries, images, or interviews, contact YAA Projects at info@yaaprojects.com or OMMX at jon@officemmx.com.
Ultimately, The Wake is an act of reclamation—a monument that honours the strength, beauty, and survival of African and Caribbean peoples while acknowledging the brutal truths of history. It transforms memory into space and space into meaning, offering London a new site of shared reflection and hope. Through the combined vision of Khaleb Brooks, OMMX, and YAA Projects, London will gain not just a memorial, but a living reminder of resilience, renewal, and the enduring human spirit.
