A Place of Landings is a site-wide wayfinding and public art commission developed by artist Richard Wolfstrome for Kings Hill, Kent. The project forms part of a wider cultural programme embedded across the 800-acre mixed-use development, which includes parkland, workplaces, homes and civic space built on the former RAF West Malling airfield.

Conceived as both a navigational system and a cultural trail, the work responds directly to the site’s aviation heritage and to the everyday experiences of the people who live and work there. Developed through Futurecity’s strategic approach, the project uses art to support movement, orientation and identity across the public realm.

Community engagement played a central role in shaping the commission. Working with Future Creative, workshops were held with local schools, residents, businesses and community groups to uncover personal memories, local stories and overlooked histories. These contributions informed the content, language and form of the artworks, fostering a strong sense of ownership and connection.

The resulting works include two large steel roundels, each 7.5 metres in diameter, located around the former control tower. One features RAF slang used by wartime pilots; the other incorporates personal anecdotes gathered from residents. Across Liberty Square and surrounding routes, brass reliefs and text are embedded into paving, referencing aircraft stationed at West Malling - including Hurricanes, Spitfires and Lysanders - alongside a playful nod to the day the Beatles filmed at the airfield.

Together, these elements create a coherent wayfinding trail that links key destinations, increases legibility and brings layered histories into everyday encounter, reinforcing Kings Hill’s identity as a place shaped by arrival, departure and memory.

Photography by Joe Clark