“In my youth I was drawn from the other side of London to the National Sports Centre to watch and participate in a variety of sports. Years later when I moved to south east London, my children learned to swim at the Centre. For me and many others, it was an internal gateway to the wider park, and shares a parallel history: inspiration, achievement, gradual deterioration, and now – at last – the chance of a brighter future. I hope I can play some small part in the ongoing, concerted efforts to renew the entire park as a vital, joined-up space for the community and the wider public to enjoy.”
Richard Smith, photographed in the Grade II* listed National Sports Centre, which opened in 1964.
Photo © Kit Oates
Communications Working Group Lead
Richard is an alumnus of the Royal College of Art and a founding director of Jannuzzi Smith, an independent branding and communication design consultancy based in London and Switzerland. His work has been published and exhibited internationally, he has lectured at some of the world’s leading universities, and is a long-term supporter of initiatives promoting sustainable design.
In his spare time he has worked on a number of community initiatives focusing on Crystal Palace Park, including Wilkinson Eyre Architects’ 2003 proposals to regenerate and restore the Palace Terraces as a space for the arts. He joined Crystal Palace Park Trust’s Board of Trustees in 2020.
