Craig & Karl's playful illustration intervention gives a new lease of life to an abandoned garage

Bringing a whopping slab of neon vibrancy and joy to a forgotten petrol station in west London, Craig & Karl’s chipper new public art installation HERE AFTER is more than just a pretty face – it’s a functioning event space to boot.

The design and illustration duo, who are based between New York and London, created the piece opposite the old BBC Television Centre in White City, and drew on the now all-but-obsoleteTV test card image to inspire its bold colour palette.

This is Craig & Karl’s first major public artwork in London, and the space will be used to host events throughout the coming months. The structure is a surreal and playful take on classic garage forecourt architecture, and uses striped sections of various hues that wind round the building in beguiling curves.

“We view this project as the petrol station’s second life, or ‘wonder years’, which led us to use the words 'Here After' as a reference to heaven or utopia,” say Craig & Karl. “Now that the petrol station has fulfilled its duty, so to speak, it's free to enjoy itself.”

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