The London Festival of Architecture returns for its 13th edition, running from 1 – 30 June, centred on the theme of ‘memory’ and directed by Tamsie Thomson, previously director of RIBA London.
The festival brings together a diverse programme of over 450 events including talks from front running architects such as Richard Rogers and Kengo Kuma who have been strategic to shaping the city’s urban environments, as well as a plethora of walking tours and open studios across the capital, which offer more nuanced and focused angles on this year’s theme.
Architecture is central to how we formulate memories – we instinctively pin them to places and environments. A public square, doorway, park or even a curb, can recall an experience previously forgotten, as if you were retracing your own historic steps. Memory is an inherently human experience, and consequently a focus of the festival’s programming is housing estates, explored in relation to London’s current housing crisis.
Insight into the newest housing developments changing the landscape of London is revealed by WilkinsonEyre at Battersea Power Station and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners at the Riverlight development in Nine Elms conducting tours of the sites, while Alison Brooks presents an exhibition questioning future estate regeneration models, Mae Architects discuss the contemporary relevance of the decades old Boundary and Golden Lanes Estates and artist Mark Aitken presents a photographic series in the soon to be demolished Cressingham Gardens estate near Brixton.
Discover the top 20 events from the London Festival of Architecture
Many of the projects initiate collaborations between architects, artists, students, writers, academics and members of the community, creating a healthy space for critical, opposing and diverse opinions. And many architecture practices are throwing open their doors for visitors to explore studios, see exhibitions and meet the people working on projects across their city.
A must visit ‘hub’ of the LFA is the Royal Docks area, where the Carlsberg Tetley Building is hosting an immersive theatre experience and tours of the local Silvertown area are being led. This area is at the beginning of a period of redevelopment, so it is a nice moment to head east, explore some derelict buildings and make some memories.
For a further taste of architectural nostalgia, the ArchFilmFest, which is running concurrently in partnership with the LFA, will explore historic urban landscapes of New York through The Fountainhead (1949), Paris through Playtime (1967) and Liverpool through Of Time and the City (2008). While exploring how film can also create fictive environments (Los Angeles plays itself, 2003, or Synecdoche, New York, 2008) that might make us question where the line between memory and imagination falls.
In a city such as London that is constantly in flux, it is important to step back and consider which memories might be at risk of being forgotten, which ones should definitely be forgotten, and the role architecture can play in creating happy new ones.
An architectural tour of Kensal Green cemetery is hosted by the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery and Historic England is taking place on 11 June
On 21 June, BuckleyGrayYeoman hosts a panel discussion, which asks the question ‘How can we find a home for art in London?’
The Trampery, a social enterprise specialising in workspaces, explores the importance of repurposing structures and environments in a talk titled ‘Radical repurposing: a cure for urban amnesia’ on 28 June
As part of the programme, AECOM presents a talk on 6 June that will share its unique experience of London through drawings and photography
The Japanese Junction pops up in London at TOTO Gallery until 30 June
INFORMATION
The London Festival of Architecture runs until 30 June. For more information, visit the website
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RIBA’s ‘Raise the Roof’ show is a deep dive into the history of its London HQWith its ‘Raise the Roof: Building for Change’ exhibition, the RIBA explores themes including gender, ethnicity, race, and imperialism embedded within its own historic headquarters
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These gravity-defying Santoni heels are a sculptural wonderA closer look at Santoni’s Victoria pumps, which are defined by the architectural rigour of their gently slanted heels – an ode to the heritage footwear brand’s roots in Le Marche, Italy
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Le Labo’s Kyoto flagship blends wabi-sabi with the art of slow perfumeryLe Labo has a new flagship in Kyoto’s Shimokorikicho, Nakagyo-ku neighbourhood, a celebration of Japanese heritage and craftsmanship
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RIBA’s ‘Raise the Roof’ show is a deep dive into the history of its London HQ
With its ‘Raise the Roof: Building for Change’ exhibition, the RIBA explores themes including gender, ethnicity, race, and imperialism embedded within its own historic headquarters
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2024 RIBA Gold Medal recipient Lesley Lokko: ‘To be valued, understood and seen by your peers is rare’Lesley Lokko receives the 2024 RIBA Gold Medal in a dedicated celebration in London, and talks to us about taking stock after a busy few years, and planning for the future
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The Emory, RSHP’s first luxury hotel in London, is a rising starNew London hotel The Emory presents the perfect showcase of RSHP’s signature functionalist style and hospitality group Maybourne’s elevated luxury
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Inside Harry Handelsman's Manhattan Loft Gardens penthouse in LondonManhattan Loft Corporation CEO Harry Handelsman's Manhattan Loft Gardens penthouse in London goes on the market for £17.5m
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Architects collaborate on geometric extension to radically re-shape a London houseMediterranean influences, earthy tones and quirky angles abound in this geometric extension and the soaring living spaces of this reconfigured Victorian townhouse
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London’s Reciprocal House complements an existing Norman Foster extensionReciprocal House by Gianni Botsford replaces a north London Victorian structure, preserving its early Norman Foster extension and bringing the whole to the 21st century
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Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Kohn is infused with subtly playful eleganceStephen Friedman Gallery gets a new home by David Kohn in London, filled with elegant details and colourful accents
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Henry Wood House’s postmodernist bones are refreshed by Nice Projects in LondonNice Projects breathes new life into the Henry Wood House in London, offering ample flexible office spaces for modern workers
