I was really looking forward to attending the London Festival of Architecture 2008-a month long festival packed with hundreds of different events around the city ranging from exhibitions, building tours, cycling tours, open studios, etc. I stumbled upon the site while looking at a site about free things to do in London.
I traveled for the first time by myself in the underground. It was a lot of fun and as long as I had my tube map and London street guide I would be fine. (felt like I was walking on the Monopoly board!)
I traveled first to Goodge St station and walked to the LFA headquarters on Store Street. They had an enormous model of London.
1. Canary Wharf area
2. Westminster, London Eye, St. James Park
3.,4.,5. lunch- I sat in the middle of Regents park eating sandwiches whilst staring at the wonderful architecture around the park- Liar. OK fine,,..whilst watching a couple or shirtless guys playing football. (that's more like it! lol)
6.I thoroughly enjoyed peering through these windows of the posh homes of Regents St. at the heavy long drapes framing elegant chandeliers.
1.I then went to Portland place to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for a guided tour of the building.
2.,3. Browsing through an exhibition of Chinese Modernism and 4.,5. also through some of the other models on display. 6.RIBA cafe. 7. Pillars with engravings of sketches from Sir. Bannister Fletcher's History of Architecture (sorry the picture is not that clear) 8. Ceiling engravings of different areas of architecture, eg. masonry, carpentry, plumbing.. etc 9. Gold detail of building equipment. 10. Glass frosting representing the 6 eras of Architecture, ie. Pre Historic, Greek, Chinese, Roman, Early Christian and Modern. 11.,12. RIBA library.
Next on my itinerary was Lost Quarters- Euston Road and Sommers Town Design Workshop/Presentation/Discussion. It was held at the Bartlett School of the Built Environment (I would love to study there!) You needed a letter to confirm your attendance, but they hadn't replied, but I still went, hoping they wouldn't chuck me out. I only saw the reply that evening stating that my name would be on the list of guests.
Anyway, they obviously didn't chuck me out. It was pretty interesting. Different architects gave their presentations of their ideas of what changes could be made to the Euston Road, Sommers Town area. A lot of what they said was way over my head. But, the things I did understand, their concepts, sketches, etc was really brilliant. It also felt really cool to be sitting among all these architects while they discussed their ideas.
Last on my itinerary was attending the open studio of Llowarch and Llowarch Architects. It was somewhere in the Brunswick Centre. I took forever to find it, hence the numerous pictures of the Brunswick Centre including one of my shadow... yes, I was really lost and nobody seemed to be able to help me either.
Anyway, I did find it. I was a small one-roomed Studio. They dealt mainly with nursery and primary schools. Mrs. Llowarch explained the projects to me. This doesn’t sound very architectural, but they were all really cute! She introduced me to some of the newer materials that they use. Corin- thick and non- brittle, used mainly for table-tops and Tile backing- heavy, dark grey. In their design, it was used as cabinet doors.
I traveled for the first time by myself in the underground. It was a lot of fun and as long as I had my tube map and London street guide I would be fine. (felt like I was walking on the Monopoly board!)
 |
| London- the city and the parks |
I traveled first to Goodge St station and walked to the LFA headquarters on Store Street. They had an enormous model of London.
1. Canary Wharf area
2. Westminster, London Eye, St. James Park
3.,4.,5. lunch- I sat in the middle of Regents park eating sandwiches whilst staring at the wonderful architecture around the park- Liar. OK fine,,..whilst watching a couple or shirtless guys playing football. (that's more like it! lol)
6.I thoroughly enjoyed peering through these windows of the posh homes of Regents St. at the heavy long drapes framing elegant chandeliers.
 |
| R.I.B.A |
1.I then went to Portland place to the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for a guided tour of the building.
2.,3. Browsing through an exhibition of Chinese Modernism and 4.,5. also through some of the other models on display. 6.RIBA cafe. 7. Pillars with engravings of sketches from Sir. Bannister Fletcher's History of Architecture (sorry the picture is not that clear) 8. Ceiling engravings of different areas of architecture, eg. masonry, carpentry, plumbing.. etc 9. Gold detail of building equipment. 10. Glass frosting representing the 6 eras of Architecture, ie. Pre Historic, Greek, Chinese, Roman, Early Christian and Modern. 11.,12. RIBA library.
Next on my itinerary was Lost Quarters- Euston Road and Sommers Town Design Workshop/Presentation/Discussion. It was held at the Bartlett School of the Built Environment (I would love to study there!) You needed a letter to confirm your attendance, but they hadn't replied, but I still went, hoping they wouldn't chuck me out. I only saw the reply that evening stating that my name would be on the list of guests.
Anyway, they obviously didn't chuck me out. It was pretty interesting. Different architects gave their presentations of their ideas of what changes could be made to the Euston Road, Sommers Town area. A lot of what they said was way over my head. But, the things I did understand, their concepts, sketches, etc was really brilliant. It also felt really cool to be sitting among all these architects while they discussed their ideas.
 |
| The Brunswick Centre |
Last on my itinerary was attending the open studio of Llowarch and Llowarch Architects. It was somewhere in the Brunswick Centre. I took forever to find it, hence the numerous pictures of the Brunswick Centre including one of my shadow... yes, I was really lost and nobody seemed to be able to help me either.
Anyway, I did find it. I was a small one-roomed Studio. They dealt mainly with nursery and primary schools. Mrs. Llowarch explained the projects to me. This doesn’t sound very architectural, but they were all really cute! She introduced me to some of the newer materials that they use. Corin- thick and non- brittle, used mainly for table-tops and Tile backing- heavy, dark grey. In their design, it was used as cabinet doors.
2 comments:
Loved the rundown on ur visit and the lovely pics.Will luk forward to more frm ur end....
Every single words you put down on your blog are so detailed, feels like I walk down the street of London, surely you do make me recalled the time when I see them real. Cutting short long story , your page is one stop for every information from traveling, food, hobbies and architect.. so on ! you are a great writer... wish you all the best !..... Cheers :)
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