The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) – taking place between the 1st and 30th June – is calling for participants to explore and engage with the changing landscape of London through this year’s central theme, ‘Work in Progress’.
“London exists because of its commercial roots, and work and London go hand in hand,” says Patricia Brown, chair of the London Festival of Architecture. “Work – aka career – is why many of us chose, or continue, to live in London. So this year’s festival theme of ‘Work in Progress’ is a route into exploring the impact of work on our lives and city, and especially the role of its architects and architecture in informing and influencing London’s evolution.”
The LFA describes the project below:
“Work has shaped our city and informs our lives. It connects London socially and globally; it is the means by which we share and test ideas, and often where we have our greatest successes and challenges. London exists because of its commercial roots, as a place of production, the exchange of goods and services.
“Yet how we work – and how we think about work and the workplace – has changed dramatically in recent years. Technology, alongside other cultural and economic forces, has enabled work to seep out from offices to permeate our entire city, influencing its landscape and impacting on our experience of daily life.
“Landscapes have changed, too, due to the decline of traditional industry and manufacturing, while many of the remaining sites are now under pressure for much needed homes. Yet now we are seeing a resurgence of manufacture, and a return to artisan and making.
“London itself is a work in progress, and its architecture, and its architects, both respond to, and lead, the process of change. This year’s theme ‘Work in Progress’ presents a chance to explore the changing nature of work, and workspace, as well as its impact on, and role in, the continued evolution of our city.”
Proposals are being invited for Associated Projects and Open Studios, in partnership with RIBA London. The deadline for submission is 10 March 2015. Selected projects will be included in the London Festival of Architecture programme, alongside events by London’s leading cultural and academic institutions. For further details and project submissions please visit the website or email.
