London Festival of Architecture announces simple and compelling 2021 theme
The theme for the 2021 London Festival of Architecture has been announced and it is centred around ‘Care'
The central focus for the 2021 London Festival of Architecture has been announced. LFA 2021, which is set to take place from 1 to 30 June 2021, pandemic restrictions willing, has a starkly simple and compelling theme, ‘Care’. A deliberately broad topic that is also incredibly relatable in this age of pandemic, ‘Care’ is at the heart of the LFA’s annual call for proposals, which stays open until 7 March 2021.
Tamsie Thomson, managing director of New London Architecture, which co-ordinates the London Festival of Architecture, describes this year’s focus as a way for architecture to find common ground with empathy, emphasising the importance of both in the process. Traditionally, the LFA’s programming has been diverse, with events and installations scattered around the capital. Naturally, last year was digital-only; 2021 will hopefully mix online activities with live events.
‘This year’s London Festival of Architecture is a chance to examine "care" in all its forms, and perhaps an exhortation for us all to care more,’ Thomson says, and the LFA’s Curatorial Panel is doubtless hoping to be inspired by entries from all facets of society. The panel includes journalist Will Hurst, architects Manijeh Verghese, Dipa Joshi and David Buckle and the broadcaster Suzy Klein, among others.
The organisers hope that ‘Care’ encourages contributions from every sector, from the purely practical world of healthcare to ongoing ways of making urban spaces more inclusive and accessible. Sadly, it’s the failings of care that have dominated recent headlines, as layers of complexity have to be staunched by emergency planning or peeled back by public enquiries.
Care for the environment is also top of the agenda for 2021, which also sees the COP 26 Summit in Glasgow this November. Back in 2019, there were around 600 physical LFA events across the city and 800,000 visitors. Here’s hoping that Thomson and her team can harness the capital’s creative energy to get 2021 into better shape.
INFORMATION
londonfestivalofarchitecture.org
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
The 2024 Ivor Novello nominations for songwriting have been revealed
77 British and Irish songwriters and composers make up this year's nominees, announced tonight at London's Groucho Club
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Why Bollinger’s La Grande Année 2015 champagne is worth celebrating
Champagne Bollinger unveils La Grande Année 2015 and La Grande Année Rosé 2015, two outstanding cuvées from an exceptional year in wine-making
By Melina Keays Published
-
Lexus installation explores time at Milan Design Week 2024
Lexus brought designer Hideki Yoshimoto’s ‘Beyond the Horizon’ to Milan’s Art Point, part of its ongoing series of collaborations with Fuorisalone
By Nargess Shahmanesh Banks Published
-
Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Kohn is infused with subtly playful elegance
Stephen Friedman Gallery gets a new home by David Kohn in London, filled with elegant details and colourful accents
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Henry Wood House’s postmodernist bones are refreshed by Nice Projects in London
Nice Projects breathes new life into the Henry Wood House in London, offering ample flexible office spaces for modern workers
By Daven Wu Published
-
‘Bio-spaces’ exhibition at Roca London Gallery celebrates biophilic design
‘Bio-Spaces: regenerative, resilient futures’ opens at the Roca London Gallery as ‘a call to action to stop designing nature out’
By Clare Dowdy Published
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2024: London’s bold, bright and boutique home renovations
Don’t Move, Improve 2024 reveals its shortlist, with 16 home designs competing for the top spot, to be announced in May
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Timber-framed Wimbledon house is a minimalist, low-energy affair
A new timber-framed Wimbledon house is designed to blend into its traditional surroundings with a neat brick façade, careful massing and pared back interiors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
London Science Museum’s Energy Revolution gallery champions sustainable exhibition design
The Energy Revolution gallery opens at London’s Science Museum, exploring decarbonisation through sustainable exhibition design by Unknown Works
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This South Downs house stands as a testament to the value of quiet refinement
At one with the landscape, a South Downs house uses elements of quintessential country villas and midcentury gems with modern technologies
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Ash Tree House offers a contextual approach to a north London site
Ash Tree House by Edgley Design is a modern family home in a north London conservation area's backyard site
By Ellie Stathaki Published