This June, the London Festival of Architecture rolls into town once again. This year's theme is 'identity': of people, buildings, places and experiences. London is a city of fragmented history and distinct cultural groups - but with a collective identity. Its history is alive everywhere: from old place names and the City of London’s medieval street pattern, to the influences of centuries of immigration and multiculturalism that create a beautiful and peculiar conflation.
From exhibitions, installations, open studios, talks and debates, to cycle rides and guided walking tours across renovated London estates, London Festival of Architecture celebrates identity in all its forms. With more than 400 events to choose from across the capital, here are our highlights of the month ahead!
Skip Gallery x Richard Woods: Upgrade
Skip Gallery's latest installation sees British artist Richard Woods place one of his colourful trademark bungalows in a roadside skip in Hoxton. Entitled Upgrade, and surrounded by trash, Woods hopes the installation triggers debate around gentrification in East London. 'Many of these skips contained kitchens or three-piece suites,' Woods explains, 'by proposing that a whole house could be cast aside and put into a skip, I am highlighting and exaggerating this process of gentrification.'
Date: 1 - 30 June
Time: All day, all night
Where: In the parking space opposite 19 Hoxton Square, N1 6PB N1 6PB
Please click here for more information
Concrete Capital
Trellick Tower, London
Join design firm SODA on 6 June for one of the festival's fringe events: an evening of lively debate, music and screenings to celebrate the architectural possibilities of concrete. Following the discussion around the 'much-maligned building material', there will be a tour of the recently renovated former brewery brutalist building alongside the Docklands Light Railway tracks in east London.
Date: 6 June
Time: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: The Silver Building, Dock Road E16 1YZ
The Big Architecture Family Day: Master Casters
Discover the New RA, explore David Chipperfield's redevelopment and consider the ways in which the identity of the RA has changed over its 250 year history at this free full-day programme of activities for children and families.
Date: 10 June
Time: 11am - 3pm
Where: 6 Burlington Gardens Piccadilly W1J 0PE W1J 0PE
Please click here for more information
The Great Architectural Bake Off
WATG's GABO 2017
While it's not one of the official festival events, we can't wait for The Great Architectural Bake Off, hosted for the third year in a row. This one-off afternoon event is your chance to see London's most renowned architecture firms recreate some of the city's infamous landmarks out of cake, right before your eyes. On your marks, get set, bake!
Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Guildhall Yard
Please click here for more information
The Treehouse at Battersea Power Station
Power Station at night, 2018, © Battersea Power Station 2018
As part of the London Festival of Architecture, Battersea Power Station will open its doors for several exclusive events. Visit the Treehouse, a temporary pavilion space constructed by London practice studio Kyson, where you can play with, reflect on and explore contemporary architecture today. Or, visit the Regeneration Exhibition; made up of 11,000 photos taken by 3 photographers, this exhibition traces the trajectory of the reconstruction of the famous London landmark.
Date: 1 - 30 June
Where: Battersea Power Station, Circus West Village Pop-Ups entrance via Sopwith Way SW8 5BN
Please click here for more information
Thomas J. Price, Numen (Shifting Votive) One, Two and Three, 2016
The Square Mile isn't the first place you'd look to find a host of arresting artworks. And yet, every year, the City of London takes contemporary art out of its natural habitat and places it in surprising corners of the financial district.
Sculpture in the City 2018 will be the largest to date, showcasing 18 works from art world heavyweights. The outdoor exhibition will include works from internationally renowned artists including Sean Scully, Marina Abramovic and Nancy Rubins. To celebrate the centenary of female suffrage, nine of the Sculpture in the City works have been created by emerging and international female artists; their work will be positioned among some of London's most famous buildings, such as The Leadenhall Building, also known as the ‘Cheesegrater’, Richard Rogers' Lloyd’s building, the Gherkin and four brand new locations.
There will be two tours of this temporary urban sculpture park on 27 and 28 June as part of the London Festival of Architecture. Click here to find out more.
Date: 27 and 28 June
Time 1pm 2 - pm
Location: Starting at St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate Churchyard Bishopsgate City of London EC2M 3TL
Ombra Altana
Ombra Altana in Hackney
For a little chunk of Venice in Hackney, head to Ombra Altana for a canal-side aperitif. Built by local architects Fourth Space and The Office for Crafted Architecture, the pavilion on Regents Canal has a large west-facing elevated terrace, which is perfect for an evening aperitif. Like any good traditional Italian kitchen should, Ombra Altana serves the best seasonal produce from Italy and selected British farmers. A series of 'Negroni Talks' will take place during the festival, of which the highlight is Where's the punk in architecture?
Date: 1 - 30 June
Where: One Vyner Street, E2 9DG
This year's schedule is jam-packed (for the complete London Festival of Architecture programme, click here), so Londoner's get your diaries out and start planning now.
| What | London Festival of Architecture 2018 |
| Where | Various Locations | MAP |
| When |
01 Jun 18 – 30 Jun 18, Opening times vary over events |
| Price | £Prices vary |
| Website | Click here for more details |
