What to see at the London Festival of Architecture 2025

June can mean only one thing: it's time for the London Festival of Architecture 2025. In the architecture circles, the summer kicks off with a healthy dose of thoughtful building design, of which the festival (a.k.a. LFA) has been a champion since the celebration's inception in 2012.

This year is no exception. Built around the main theme of Voices, and the richness and diversity we all bring to the folds of the capital's environment, the event looks at the big and the small scale, enhancing discussions, opening doors and offering the platform to a variety of people, organisations and needs. The goal? Not only to hear and learn more about architecture, and inclusive architecture at that, but also to inspire everyone to jump right in and take part in shaping London's built environment.

London Festival of Architecture 2025: a celebration of voices

For 2025, the festival brings a whopping 55 exhibitions, over 80 workshops, and 20 installations. Whether you are after discovering a hidden corner of London, or exploring through a fresh architectural lens the more well-trodden parts, such as the centre or your own neighbourhood or borough, there is something for everybody.

LFA 2025: themes and structure

The London Festival of Architecture 2025 programme is built around a mix of key 'Destinations' (Barnet, Brentford Golden Mile, City of London, and Fitzrovia) and 'Neighbourhoods' (Art Park in Harrow, Clapham Junction, Fleet Street Quarter, London Cancer Hub in Sutton, and Wood Green and Alexandra Palace). Categories include workshops (making 2025 a great, event-packed year for hands-on participation), tours, talks, exhibitions, performances, special launch events, studio lates, film and installations - all curated by a panel of experts, from architects to consultants, journalists and urban planning professionals.

Rosa Rogina, director of the London Festival of Architecture, said: 'The Festival has always been about testing new ideas and challenging the status quo. Following our 20th anniversary, LFA2025 is actioning the conversations we started -amplifying underrepresented voices and uncovering new perspectives on the city. We invite everyone to take part, whether you’re an architect, artist, community member, or simply curious about London’s future.'

LFA 2025: 9 highlights

It feels unfair to even attempt to whittle down over 450 very worthy events into a handful of highlights. So we hope our listing below (featuring one highlight per event category) is merely an entry point for discovering more about the festival and its offering. Plenty lies beyond the below selected nine activities - from a London Zoo tour, to 'Threading the Needle: Architecture of Care,' an exhibition that explores 2020 Obel Prize winner Anandaloy, a therapy centre for people with disabilities and home to Dipdii Textiles studio in Bangladesh, designed by Anna Herringer. If you are looking for inspiration and don't know where to start, just scroll down.

THE LAUNCH EVENT: Whispers by Oskar Zięta: Launch Event

When: Thursday 29 May, 10:45 - 13:00
Where: Outside of One New Ludgate

You can say 'I was there right from the start' by attending this LFA's launch event in the Fleet Street Quarter - no booking needed. The evening will see the unveiling of a special commission of an innovative sculptural installation by renowned Polish designer Oskar Zięta, titled Whispers. It promises to be an interactive experience involving an inflatable piece, as the artist describes using 'pioneering FiDU (Freie Innendruck Umformung) technology, which transforms flat metal sheets into lightweight, three-dimensional forms using internal air pressure.'

THE TALK: Earth, Memory, and the Spaces We Inhabit: Matrilineal Legacies in Contemporary Architecture

When: Friday 6th - Sunday 29th June
Where: NOW Gallery, Greenwich Peninsula

Another launch event, co-produced this time by BFA and DepART, this family of activities highlights a curated group of Black women innovating at the forefront of their creative industry field. The exhibit aims at readdressing how we view architecture, as part of a wider research body, the Ma Project, by the BFA. The organisation explains: 'Rooted in the Sankofa principle, returning to the past to retrieve what is valuable for the future, it reimagines architecture as an act of listening, remembering, and inspiring new futures.' This will be achieved through film, an installation of objects, and a series of talks.

THE INSTALLATION: Leaving a Mark by Bamidele Awoyemi, Farouk Agoro & Livia Wang (bafalw) with Red Collective

When: Saturday 28th - Monday 30th June
Where: Eastern Cluster of City of London

The result of an open competition, this series of installations was conceived to highlight the City of London's four public viewing galleries – The Garden at 120, Horizon 22, The Lookout & The Sky Garden. The four corresponding new structures have been designed to be at once beacons, rest stops and wayfinding devices, seeking to invite passers-by to rediscover hidden views of the Eastern Cluster of the City of London.

THE EXHIBITION: Richard Rogers: Talking Buildings

When: Wednesday 18th - Monday 30th June, 10:00 - 17:00
Where: Sir John Soane's Museum

Richard Rogers left an indelible mark on the global architecture scene – including, of course, his home base, London. This show puts the spotlight on his career – from early works such as Zip Up House and the Pompidou Centre, to Lloyds of London and the Millennium Dome. His human-centred design has been applauded and critically acclaimed, while his prolific nature means many of his buildings can be found in the streets of London, waiting to be experienced.

THE WORKSHOP: Voice your world with Lego – your build, your story, your voice

When: Across Saturdays in June
Where: Barnet libraries, North London

Something for the kids – in age and at heart – this workshop invites visitors to build with Lego. Play, make and share a story through the common language of the playful Lego brick. Sessions are available for ages three and over, but no booking is required, so join and let your craft and imagination do the talking.

THE PERFORMANCE: AP Sounds: Community-led broadcast

When: Saturday 21 June, 11:00 - 13:00
Where: Campsbourne Centre, Alexandra Park

With this event, you can not only be part of the architectural conversation in your neighbourhood, but you can also broadcast it in order for more people to join in. AP Sounds is a live pop-up community-led radio broadcast, mixing prerecording and live segments as part of an immersive radio experience at Ally Pally. From guest musicians to interviews, and going live from the Alexandra Palace Cricket and Football Club, the event caters for all tastes.

THE STUDIO LATE: ‘Sessions’ One-to-One Mentoring; by Narrative Practice, hosted by Fletcher Priest Architects

When: Thursday 26 June, 18:00 - 21:00
Where: Fletcher Priest Architects, Middlesex House, Cleveland Street, W1T 4JE

Narrative Practice lead, architect Dhruv Gulabchande is also part of this year's curatorial panel for LFA 2025. In this event, non-profit Narrative Practice and architecture studio Fletcher Priest Architects have joined forces to offer complimentary sessions and in-person design reviews and workshops for current and prospective students and young practitioners within architecture and the built environment. Mentors from the studio are available to guide and offer feedback, while the aim is for participants to receive information ahead of the event in order to prepare and make the most of their session.

THE TOUR: Design and Disability – Inclusive exhibition tour

When: Tuesday 17 June, 9.30 - 10.30
Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington

Design and Disability opens at the V&A in South Kensington on the 7th June, aimed at celebrating and informing. Described as 'both a celebration and a call to action,' the exhibition fittingly highlights the contributions of Disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent people and communities to the world of design; and this inclusive tour by Sam Brown (V&A Design Studio) Natalie Kane (exhibition curator) and The DisOrdinary Architecture Project (Exhibition Accessibility Consultants) ensures that everyone can experience the show.

THE FILM SCREENING: Give Voice to locals! Night at the Museum

When: Thursday 26 June, 18:30 - 21:00
Where: A space for us, People's Museum

This would make for a perfect LFA ending. The event celebrates local voices via the medium of film, screening short documentary films by local filmmakers from the London areas of Euston, King's Cross and more. Offerings include the films Spirit! and somerstownwishes. Retro music from a vinyl record player follows the viewing, ensuring the night ends with some summer partying.

The London Festival of Architecture 2025 takes place across London from 1–30 June 2025

londonfestivalofarchitecture.org