Keeping Track of London's Worst Construction Site Ads

No matter how temporary, construction sites can be an eyesore. So it’s not surprising when someone chooses to spruce them up, maybe even with a bit of art.

That’s the thought behind “Canvas for London,” a new initiative launched by a construction, architecture, and engineering firm called Primebuild. The project identifies development hoardings—the plywood coverings that stand between construction projects and the street—as a canvas for local artists. (Editor’s note: “Hoardings” is a U.K. term, and none of us can quite agree on what Americans call these things. Construction walls? Help us, CityLab commentariat, you’re our only hope!)

Of course, the idea of dressing up development hoardings isn’t exactly new: for better or worse, in many cities it’s already an art form of its own. Take, for example, Development Aesthetics, a Tumblr devoted to documenting the “rise of the inane language and visuals used to market new buildings and developments in London.”