Margaret Howell celebrates print, marking 130 years of Architectural Review covers in London

130 years of AR covers go on show at Margaret Howell's flagship store in London, celebrating the Architectural Review's landmark anniversary

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130 years of AR covers at Margaret Howell
(Image credit: Courtesy of Margaret Howell)

We love print, have long revered the work of Margaret Howell and will always tip our hat to one of the industry's respected proponents, the Architectural Review (AR). So the news that the latest collaboration between the last two is turning into an exhibition had us sit up and take notice. Opening this week at the Margaret Howell flagship store in London, an elegant display of a specially composed series celebrates not only 130 years of AR covers but also Howell's expert eye and fascination with print, as the British designer personally selected the five artworks on display.

130 years of AR covers at Margaret Howell

(Image credit: Courtesy of Margaret Howell)

Explore 130 years of AR covers at Margaret Howell in London

Marking the architecture magazine's seminal moment, Howell browsed the AR's vast archives (some 1500 issues) and hand-picked her selection for a display at her Wigmore Street store. Each one is available to purchase as a limited edition of just 200 numbered copies, printed in matt, natural white, 350gsm Hahnemühle Museum Etching paper, including a debossed AR monogram.

The covers – some featuring work by leading architecture figures, such as Hélène Binet and 2026 RIBA Gold Medal winner Níall McLaughlin – are celebrated as moments of fine art, bespoke pieces that have elevated the print publication through the decades.

130 years of AR covers at Margaret Howell

(Image credit: Courtesy of Margaret Howell)

The designer has long been drawn by architecture, her flagship home having hosted themed exhibitions around the built environment in the past. An example is 2023's 'British Cooling Towers – Sculptural Giants,' a show created by Twentieth Century Society (C20 Society) together with Howell and presented during the London Festival of Architecture of that year. She also curated a show centred on AR Covers in 2023, making this the second in a series of collaborations with the much-loved architectural publication.

130 years of AR covers at Margaret Howell

(Image credit: Courtesy of Margaret Howell)

'After our exhibition of AR covers in 2023, it was a pleasure to be asked to make another selection to celebrate the magazine’s 130th anniversary,' the designer explained. 'What appeals to me about these covers is how striking they are. I am attracted to the unexpected, abstract nature of the imagery in the five covers I have chosen.'

130 years of AR covers at Margaret Howell

(Image credit: Courtesy of Margaret Howell)

The prints will be available to order from both the AR shop and Margaret Howell from 14 May until 14 June 2026

Margaret Howell, 34 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2RS, UK

Ellie Stathaki
Ellie Stathaki

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).