The London Festival of Architecture returns for the month of June, exploring the theme 'Work in Progress'. I've already been making my way to a few events, exhibitions and parties, and here are my picks for the remainder of the festival. Enjoy!
Until 21 June: New Horizon
Lewis Cubitt Square, King’s Cross, N1C 4UZ
Two pavilions, one yellow (above), one red, are the centrepiece of LFA2015 from its inaugural focus country, Ireland. Designed by Hall McKnight and TAKA, Steve Larkin and Clancy Moore respectively, each is equal parts bold statement and a considered bringing together of form and detail.
Until 28 June: Nine Lives
The Tank, Design Museum, SE1 2YD
Ireland at LFA is just one element of Irish Design 2015's global architecture presence, with a further five practices to show work in Chicago and Shenzhen later in the year. Work by all nine practices can be glimpsed in Nine Lives, an exhibition-cum-installation in the Tank, right outside the Design Museum (pictured top). Curated by Emmett Scanlon, Nine Lives looks at the equal importance of design and occupancy in the life of a building, and shows the sometimes startling contrast between a home as envisaged by an architect and the messy reality of life once it's been completed.
Working in the Third Place
MAKERScafe, E2 8AA, The Proud Archivist, N1 5SH and Tina, We Salute You, N1 4NH
Conceived by cool dudes from my class, Not To Scale Collective, Working in the Third Place is a series of events and interventions which explore the coffee house as an increasingly popular work place for architects and non-architects alike. A zine, introductory talks in MAKERScafe, and installations at The Proud Archivist and Tina, We Salute You all aim to show how cafes can set the scene for work in progress (see what they did there?!)
Saturdays and Sundays until 28 June: Tack-on Tours: The Ugliest Buildings in London
Various locations
Ugly buildings? In London?! Never!! But actually, all the time. Some of them especially large and foreboding too. Go on a tour with Hoax Theatre for a parody on a walking tour, which hopefully points out the parody that is some of the stuff being built in this city...
29 June, 7pm: Come Together: Reinventing the Arts Centre
Barbican Centre, EC2Y 8DS
With many arts institutions extending, rebuilding or relocating and the architects of the Olympicopolis development in Stratford, containing a branch of the V&a and Sadler's Wells, just announced, the Barbican and the Architecture Foundation look at the changes occurring in London's arts centres, infrastructurally and otherwise.
30 June, 6.30pm: We Built This City
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA
One of a couple of events delivered by the Irish Architecture Foundation on tour, We Built This City will look at the impact of the Irish in a number of global cities in terms of construction, architecture, academia and more. The first edition of the series kicks off in London, with panelists including past RIBA President Angela Brady and award-winning architect Níall McLaughlin.
Until 16 August: The Brutalist Playground
RIBA Gallery, 66 Portland Place, W1B 1NR
Turner prize-nominated architecture and design collective Assemble have collaborated with artist Simon Terill to explore and recreate some of the playgrounds that featured in post-war London council estates, including elements from Goldfinder's Balfron complex and and Powell and Moya's Churchill estate. Part exhibition, part installation, all fun.
Images via 1 | 2 | 3
Until 21 June: New Horizon
Lewis Cubitt Square, King’s Cross, N1C 4UZ
Two pavilions, one yellow (above), one red, are the centrepiece of LFA2015 from its inaugural focus country, Ireland. Designed by Hall McKnight and TAKA, Steve Larkin and Clancy Moore respectively, each is equal parts bold statement and a considered bringing together of form and detail.
Until 28 June: Nine Lives
The Tank, Design Museum, SE1 2YD
Ireland at LFA is just one element of Irish Design 2015's global architecture presence, with a further five practices to show work in Chicago and Shenzhen later in the year. Work by all nine practices can be glimpsed in Nine Lives, an exhibition-cum-installation in the Tank, right outside the Design Museum (pictured top). Curated by Emmett Scanlon, Nine Lives looks at the equal importance of design and occupancy in the life of a building, and shows the sometimes startling contrast between a home as envisaged by an architect and the messy reality of life once it's been completed.
Working in the Third Place
MAKERScafe, E2 8AA, The Proud Archivist, N1 5SH and Tina, We Salute You, N1 4NH
Conceived by cool dudes from my class, Not To Scale Collective, Working in the Third Place is a series of events and interventions which explore the coffee house as an increasingly popular work place for architects and non-architects alike. A zine, introductory talks in MAKERScafe, and installations at The Proud Archivist and Tina, We Salute You all aim to show how cafes can set the scene for work in progress (see what they did there?!)
Saturdays and Sundays until 28 June: Tack-on Tours: The Ugliest Buildings in London
Various locations
Ugly buildings? In London?! Never!! But actually, all the time. Some of them especially large and foreboding too. Go on a tour with Hoax Theatre for a parody on a walking tour, which hopefully points out the parody that is some of the stuff being built in this city...
29 June, 7pm: Come Together: Reinventing the Arts Centre
Barbican Centre, EC2Y 8DS
With many arts institutions extending, rebuilding or relocating and the architects of the Olympicopolis development in Stratford, containing a branch of the V&a and Sadler's Wells, just announced, the Barbican and the Architecture Foundation look at the changes occurring in London's arts centres, infrastructurally and otherwise.
30 June, 6.30pm: We Built This City
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA
One of a couple of events delivered by the Irish Architecture Foundation on tour, We Built This City will look at the impact of the Irish in a number of global cities in terms of construction, architecture, academia and more. The first edition of the series kicks off in London, with panelists including past RIBA President Angela Brady and award-winning architect Níall McLaughlin.
Until 16 August: The Brutalist Playground
RIBA Gallery, 66 Portland Place, W1B 1NR
Turner prize-nominated architecture and design collective Assemble have collaborated with artist Simon Terill to explore and recreate some of the playgrounds that featured in post-war London council estates, including elements from Goldfinder's Balfron complex and and Powell and Moya's Churchill estate. Part exhibition, part installation, all fun.
Images via 1 | 2 | 3
