The organisers of the London Festival of Architecture, the city-wide celebration of architecture and architectural talent, have announced plans to hold the popular summer showcase on an annual basis beginning in summer 2013.
Previously organised as a biennial event, with the most recent edition concluding last weekend, the Festival is due to return for another three weekend / two week run next year from 22nd June to 7th July 2013.
This year’s event, which saw the adoption of both “The Playful City” theme and the pineapple – a symbol of welcome and hospitality – as the Festival’s official emblem, incorporated hundreds of innovative events and attractions held in various hubs across the capital during an unprecedented summer of cultural and sporting attractions.
Peter Murray, chairman of NLA and Festival Founding Director said: “The sheer energy and enthusiasm that has been invested in this year’s Festival, by many hard-working organisations and individuals, strongly suggests that an annual event would be well received.
“The London Festival of Architecture receives core funding from the voluntary donations of the 250 Club, but as you’d expect with any ambitious project of this nature, we will need to raise additional funding to ensure we can deliver another Festival of similar ambition and scope in 2013. Needless to say, the will is certainly there to make it happen and we’re already in the early stages of speaking to potential sponsors.”
The annual London Festival of Architecture is curated by The Architecture Foundation, British Council, New London Architecture and RIBA London. This year’s Festival saw a packed programme of events and attractions held in various hubs including the City of London and Southwark, Fitzrovia and Victoria, and King’s Cross and Hoxton.
This year’s many Festival highlights included The Developing City exhibition, which will run at the Walbrook Building until September 9 (New London Architecture); Gibbon’s Rent, the participatory creation of a permanent new pocket park, reclaiming a forgotten cut through in Southwark (The Architecture Foundation); The British Council’s International Architecture and Design Showcase 2012, which will continue to run until September 23; and WEATHER - IT'S RAINING OR NOT: Hoxton Square’s playful interactive parasols and a graphic display of “the Weather Yesterday” which will be on display until September 9 (RIBA London). In addition, to satisfy the enthusiasm and interest that this year’s Festival has generated, additional events are being planned to tie in to some of the key installations over the rest of summer 2012.
This year’s Festival was sponsored by Land Securities and Berkeley Group, and supported by the Mayor of London and through public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
