Open City

Following on from Merlin's interview with Angus Lockyer on the Londown this week, here is the second leg of the Leisured City guided walk -- part of Angus' new podcast series historicity.This episode,we see how some parts of the West End (like Soho) came down in the world, while others (like St James’s) stayed up.More about the series:Most existing tours either explore particular themes in a city’s history (like crime) or use the city as a stage for other stories (like works of literature and art). Historicity focuses instead on the city itself, weaving its stories together with its connections to the world beyond, and so explaining why we see what we do. Recorded on location and delivered as a podcast, each walk is designed to be followed in real time, at the listeners' own pace.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Click here to get early, ad-free access to the Londown, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.This week Merlin speaks to the historian, and writer and presenter of the audio walking tours series - historicity - Angus Lockyer.Lambeth pulls the plug on controversial estate demolitions | London’s David Chipperfield wins the Pritzker Prize - architecture’s most coveted title | A UK-wide retrofitting program to unlock 35 billion pounds for the economy | And a new award-winning map spotlighting the women written out of London’s built environment history The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Click here to get early, ad-free access to the Londown, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.This week Merlin Speaks to the broadcaster and and host of the brand new podcast series Crash Course, Michael Walker. The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we are zooming in on the importance of materials, as we design our way through the climate emergency.Joining Paul are Vanessa Norwood and Duncan Paybody. Duncan is Director of Landscape at Studio Egret West, which has just delivered a new six-acre park in the heart of Manchester. Vanessa is a curator and consultant who was Creative Director of the Building Centre from 2018-22, and commissioned the exhibition 'Homegrown: Building a Post-carbon Future' which is on now.To read their articles and all the others in this edition, you can find an online version of Landscape for free here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Click here to get early, ad-free access to the Londown, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.This week Phin speaks to Denean Rowe, project manager at the Town and Country Planning Association.Visionary plans to deliver 1.2 million homes within walking distance of rural train stations | Britain’s addiction to the wrecking ball costing us 55,000 buildings a year |A new culture war erupts over 15-minute cities | And the City of London forces office skyscrapers to dim their lights at night.  The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Click here to get early, ad-free access to the Londown, and support accessible independent journalism from Open City.This week Merlin speaks to Charles Begley, Chief Executive of the London Property Alliance.Supreme Court grants luxury homeowners victory over Tate Modern viewing platform | Housing in every London borough declared unaffordable for local average earners | First time rough sleeping up by a third in central London | And the long-awaited pedestrianisation of Bank junction finally moves forward The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to the architect and Director of Citizens Design Bureau, Katy Marks.Huge doubts over carbon credits, a key pillar of Net Zero construction | Pop-up urinal death prompts debate over London’s vanishing public toilets | Michael Gove pledges to scrap ‘feudal’ leaseholder system | And fears Stratford’s LED-clad sphere could shine as bright as the ‘sun’ The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to the architect, director of Frame Projects and chair of Open City; Deborah Denner.A linear park for Camden on the route of a disused railway wins approval | New research reveals the shocking health inequalities seen with rising house prices | Last year’s huge police raid on Hackney’s Antepavilion ruled unlawful | And could Architects be replaced by machines? We discuss how AI could radically transform the future of London...The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historicity is a brilliant new series of audio walking tours which explore how cities got to be the way they are - starting with London. This episode - Leisured City - covers the transformation of the West End, as wealth is invested, hierarchy reproduced, and luxury consumed, in its streets and square…More about the series:Most existing tours either explore particular themes in a city’s history (like crime) or use the city as a stage for other stories (like works of literature and art). Historicity focuses instead on the city itself, weaving its stories together with its connections to the world beyond, and so explaining why we see what we do. Recorded on location and delivered as a podcast, each walk is designed to be followed in real time, at the listeners' own pace.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to the architecture critic and Chief Executive of Open City, Phineas Harper.Could increasing congestion on London’s roads be the real cure to all transport woes? | Shock as Grenfell firefighters diagnosed with incurable cancers six years on | Right to camp wild under the stars formally outlawed across England and Wales | And the new legislation mandating verdant urban wetlands to tackle urban flooding The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rachel speaks to the architect and co-author of the new book 'Meanwhile City', Petra Marko.Census map blows the lid on London's housing and transport inequalities | Michael Gove vows to revive traditional architecture with a new ‘school of place’ | The true scale of social housing demolitions in the capital revealed | And an enormous new public space opens in what was once a major West End road The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we are looking at how public space has been designed by and for men, and how this can have potentially deadly consequences for women.Joining Paul are Eleanor Trenfield, Jade Goto and Sophie Thompson. Eleanor and Jade are from EDLA landscape architects, and Sophie leads public realm at LDA Design, and has been involved in the design and delivery of liveable streets, squares, and green space for the past twenty years.To read their articles and all the others in this edition, you can find an online version of Landscape for free here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Open City presents Episode One, Season Two of Words on Wood, a podcast series created by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) in conjunction with Disegno journal, that delves deep into the big questions surrounding forests, the timber industry, and the use of wood as a design material.With architecture under more pressure than ever to improve the sustainability of buildings, this episode of Words on Wood looks at the potential for timber structures to reshape the field. Given the opportunities and challenges facing the construction of tall timber buildings, what role does wood have to play in the future of our built environment? Engineer Andrew Lawrence and architect Lina Ghotmeh discuss the complexities of the issues.About Words on WoodDrawing on interviews and analysis from charismatic industry experts and fascinating figures from across the creative sector, Words on Wood takes a 360º view of timber and its journey from tree to finished application. Featuring contributions and case studies from the worlds of design and architecture, the podcast explores the ways in which we care for and harvest our forests can have far-reaching consequences across the creative fields, and for the world at large.Each season sees Disegno’s editors Oli Stratford and India Block navigate the complex intersections between the worlds of forestry and design, focusing in on topics such as timber construction, illegal logging, carbon capture, advancing technologies, boundary-pushing designers, and the enduring power of craft. Alongside regular episodes are Tree Shorts – a collection of bite-size episodes each dedicated to a particular tree and the properties of its timber, as revealed through a selected design project that makes use of its distinct qualities.Subscribe here or search for 'Words on Wood' whereover you get your podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Phin Harper, Peter Arkley Bloxham, Sonny Malhotra, Cath Slessor and Ruth Lang for a epic end of year quiz where we look at some of the biggest, boldest, and down-right strangest stories we've covered on the Londown in 2022... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to the journalist and the former director of inclusion at the RIBA -- Marsha Ramroop.Leading London architects called out over Qatar world cup | China’s new embassy next to Tower Hill denied planning permission | Conservationists rage over green light for National Gallery overhaul | And Open City names its new chair and board... The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second episode of Talking Landscape - a monthly series produced by the Landscape Institute and Open City - host Paul Lincoln speaks to two contributors to the autumn edition of the Landscape journal which celebrates 100 years of women in landscape architecture. They are Jane Findlay, and Dr Luca Csepely-Knorr.Jane is the Immediate Past President of the Landscape Institute, and guest editor of this edition of the journal.Luca is a chartered landscape architect and art historian and research chair in architecture at Liverpool University. She is also leading the ‘Women of the Welfare Landscape’ project which we discuss in the showTo read their articles and all the others in this edition, you can find an online version of Landscape for free here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A walking tour of the extraordinary architecture around London Bridge, Southwark and the Square Mile created for Shangri-La The Shard, led by architect Charles Holland.You can find details about the route on Open City's websiteThe production of this tour and audio guide was sponsored by Shangri-La The Shard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week our host Rachel speaks to the urban designer, and co-director of ZCD Architects, Dinah Bornat.Toddler killed by mould a defining wake-up call for the housing sector | New Voter ID rules freezing young people out of civic life | ‘Who remembers proper binmen?’ - the nostalgia meme rejecting modern progress | And Wandworth council reclaims the streets… from e-bikes The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to award winning architectural journalist, and author of 'Monumental Lies: Culture Wars and the Truth about the Past', Robert Bevan.The Grenfell inquiry concludes and the long road to memorialising 72 deaths begins | London mayor holds emergency summit as more than a third of renters face defaulting | Working class people earning thousands less than middle class peers | And one of London’s oldest pubs faces closure over a landlord rent dispute...The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to Alpa Depani, an architect and head of strategic planning and design the London Borough of Waltham Forest.Austerity restarts with £50 million pounds of cuts to London culture | World leaders talk climate change while sustainable rail transport falters at home | Essex’s newest new town shows one way to meet London’s housing need | And is built environment heritage becoming all too political? | Plus, a cultural roundup.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to Russell Curtis, founder of RCKa ArchitectsA global house price slump is coming – but what does it mean for London and those most in housing need | Mega housing association criticised for evicting tenants over safety concerns in new block | South London council hires one of London's trendiest rising star architects for a new wave of social housing | And Michael Gove promises 300,000 new homes a year. Will it happen and will it help?The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Phin speaks to Aydin Dikerdem. Aydin is a Councillor for Shaftesbury & Queenstown in Wandsworth and Cabinet Member for Housing.Rishi Sunak – the wealthiest MP in history – becomes the new Prime Minister | Campaign group, Just Stop Oil under threat from new bill targeting peaceful protests | Battersea Power Station finally opens, with flats on sale for £7 million despite 11,000 person waiting list for housing | And new developments on the Barbican site scaled back after quite a backlashThe Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first episode of Talking Landscape – a monthly series produced by the Landscape Institute and Open City – host Paul Lincoln discusses beauty in the planning system and beyond with two contributors to the summer edition of the Landscape Journal; Julie Waldron and Ruth Lin Wong Holmes.Julie – who is Senior Landscape and Water Planning Officer at Edinburgh City Council – embarked on an investigation to try and define what we mean by beauty, and argues why the omission of the term in Scotland's draft National Planning Framework is a missed opportunity.Ruth – Design Principal Landscape and Public Realm at the London Legacy Development Programme which runs the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park – looks at the beauty of the ongoing stewardship of one of London’s newest and biggest public spaces.To read their articles and all the others in this edition, you can find an online version of Landscape for free here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin catches up with Hettie O'Brien, assistant opinion director at the Guardian.Blackstone, one of Europe’s and the UK’s largest landlords under the spotlight | Historic England slams Liverpool Street Station high-rise redevelopment plans | Battersea Power Station’s grand opening boycotted over lack of affordable housing | And could the beleaguered Whitechapel Bell Foundry be about to witness a change of fortunes?The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to Jonathan Morrison, architecture correspondent at The Times and author of a new report on the longevity of architectural firms called The Practice of SuccessionCampaigners hit out at ‘misleading’ data justifying Museum of London and Bastion House’s demolition | Government backtracks on tweet claiming stamp duty cut could help average-income London house buyers | Fulham community centre tipped to win UK architecture’s highest accolade | And what Norman Foster’s hypoctratic oath for architects tells us about the important issue of succession within architectural practice The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week host Phin Harper is joined by the architectural historian and editor of the brilliant About Buildings and Cities podcast, Matthew Lloyd Roberts.Mini-budget crashes the pound | Westminster Council to seize oligarch mansions | London architects John McAslan and Partners to redesign New York's biggest architectural blunder | And plans brewing for Queen Elizabeth mini memorial gardensThe Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to Julian Robinson. Julian is Director of Estates at the London School of Economics and winner of this year’s Open City Irene Barclay PrizeAlton Estate spared demolition but more than 100 other London estates face regeneration | Speculation grows over the green belt's future under Liz Truss | Campaigners call for Queen Elizabeth Hall's listing as a mark of respect | And Open City reveals the winners of this year's Stewardship AwardsThe Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rachel is joined by journalist and author, Jonathan Nunn, to discuss his new book London Feeds Itself. National mourning and mass cancellations in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death | London’s pubs and restaurants in jeopardy as cost of living spirals | Sadiq Khan praises Scottish rent freeze as ‘exactly what Londonders need’ | London Feeds Itself, Jonathan Nunn’s new guide to London’s food culture. The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greenwich Peninsula, located at a bend in the river Thames, East of historic Greenwich and opposite the mouth of the river Lea, has historically been a peripheral area of London. It was a farm and marshland until, in the 19th Century, it became home to Europe’s largest gas works. Until the extension of the Jubilee line and the construction of the Millennium Dome, this industrial legacy was a barrier to the development of the peninsula. The dome — not the O2 Arena — was intended to mark the start of an ambitious plan for a new urban centre, but a post-party wrangling about the area’s future and the onset of the 2008 financial crash slowed progress considerably.In 2013, the majority of the peninsula was bought by the developers Knight Dragon, who set about one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe. The latest addition is Design District, already named by Time magazine as one of 2021’s World’s Greatest Places, and featuring a rare density of buildings by leading contemporary architects such as 6A, Adam Khan Architects and David Kohn Architects.This tour tells its story.We made this tour from our offices in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the first day of the 30th Open House Festival, Merlin speaks to Chief Curator, Zoë CaveOpen House – London’s biggest festival of architecture and community kicks off today | Questions over new prime minister Liz Truss' vision to tackle the energy crisis | More people than ever seeking warmth and shelter on London’s night buses | And urban parks left reeling after a summer of drought, wildfires, and under-fundingThe Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin is joined by the journalist and author of Red Metropolis, Owen HatherleyWandsworth's new council vetoes a development for lacking affordable homes | Right to Buy takes its first bite out of Stirling Prize winning Goldsmith Street | 70 percent of pubs could be forced to close as energy costs spiral | And could Jacob Rees-Mogg be the next housing minister?The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Rachel speaks to Helen Arvanitakis, Director of the Design District in North Greenwich.Average workers now spending just a day and a half in the office | Emerging small-scale London architects win huge commissions in the capital | Bill Bryson joins the chorus of names calling to save Oxford Street’s M&S from demolition | And could golf courses be taking more than their fair water share as drought strikes Europe?The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin is joined by Joris Lechêne, the diversity and inclusion trainer and the man behind the Tiktok channel @Joris_explainsRishi Sunak caught in video celebrating the defunding of deprived areas | Muyiwa Oki wins the RIBA presidential election | Children of social housing tenants banned from playing in a new Thameside development | And could the new Transport Bill be waging an unfair war on cyclists? The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Merlin speaks to Ben Page, the global chief executive of market research firm Ipsos.Soaring inflation sees one-eighth of households facing no options to cut costs. A power shortage leaves West London with a new homes ban. How buy-to-let landlords fuelled the housing crisis. And the Grade I-listed Finsbury Health Centre is finally set for a refurbThe Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leadership rivals Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak criticised for lack of housing policy. New London buildings dominate the RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist. The capital weighs up its Olympic legacy a decade on from the games. And is there a socialist case for traditional architecture?This week Merlin is joined by the architect and writer Douglas Murphy. The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week host Rachel Copel is joined by Fran Williams, deputy architecture editor at the AJOn the menu: London burns as soaring temperatures highlight the inadequacy of our buildings to cope in extreme weather. Developers accused of bribing social housing residents to vote in favour of estate regenerations. A Southwark councillor is issued with a no fault eviction notice. And Canada Water's Printworks nightclub is set to close ahead of a huge redevelopment.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new covid wave has meant we are sadly unable to make an episode of The Londown this week. However, instead we're going to play you an episode of the Architecture Foundation's new podcast series Power and Public Space which was made in collaboration with Drawing Matter.In the episode Matthew Blunderfield speaks with the artists Mark Wallinger. Wallinger's art exists in public space. He’s made films and performance pieces set in tube stations and airports, and was the first artist to occupy the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in 1999. In this episode of Power and Public Space Wallinger discusses the installation “State Britain”, which reconstructs a protest encampment originally erected in Parliament Square by the peace activist Brian Haw. If you enjoy the show please subscribe to it via the Architecture Foundation wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this weeks Open City Stewardship Awards special host Phin Harper is joined by Director of Sustainability and Physics at the integrated consulting engineers and advisers practice Buro Happold - Smith Mordak, and Director of Sustainability at the housing association Peabody - Richard Ellis.Damning report warns the UK is already failing its own net zero targets. Census reveals London hollowing out of the London city centre. Star architects dRMM parachuted in for a landmark study to boost timber construction. And conservationists celebrate victory in the battle to save London’s former City Hall from demolitionThe Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Royal Institute of British Architects names its three presidential contenders | A US property price slump casts doubts over London’s residential market | The City Corporation is urged not to demolish the old Museum of London | And the row over a prime ministerial treehouse at Chequers while thousands of homes lay vacant in the capitalThis week Merlin is joined by Muyiwa Oki, one of the three candidates in the running to be the next RIBA president.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this weeks Open City Stewardship Awards special Merlin is joined by the Executive Director for Thamesmead at Peabody - John Lewis.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years on Grenfell survivors say they are still waiting for justice. A toxic culture spanning decades at London’s most famous architecture school. Campaigners warn Right to Buy’s revamp could worsen the housing crisis. And a new inquiry into American sweet shops flooding Oxford Street.This week Rachel is joined by Pooja Agrawal. Pooja is the co-founder and CEO of Public Practice and is also the co-founder of Sound Advice.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Help to Buy scrapped amid a looming housing market slowdown, Marketisation of landmark buildings takes a twist with some questionable projections, Camden Highline’s submitted for planning as calls for a pedestrian first city grow, And the Platinum Jubilee in architecture – does the reality of Thomas Heatherwick’s ‘Tree of Trees’ live up to the renders?This week Merlin catches up with Will Jennings; editor of Recessed Space, director of Hypha Studios charity, and architecture lecturer at UCL Bartlett and Greenwich.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crossrail finally opens with 10 new central London stations, public ownership takes centre stage in Old Oak Common’s redevelopment vision, City Hall sets out plans for a new user-friendly website to review major planning applications, and could a new Renters Reform Bill help out London’s most precarious private tenants?This week Merlin catches up with DSDHA co-founder Deborah Saunt.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Protestors clash with police over immigration arrests in Dalston, Bitter row erupts over last-minute changes to RIBA election rules, Design competition for a memorial at Grenfell tower announced, And could a National Housing Pan be the REAL solution to the housing crisis?The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Key London councils swing left ending decades of Conservative dominance, Sadiq Khan calls for rent freezes as Bank of England hints at looming recession, New levelling up and planning reforms outlined in the state opening of parliament, And a little known Islington Council architect wins the prestigious MJ Long prizeThe Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cost of living crisis set to dominate London’s local elections, contentious plans to extend Right to Buy are dusted off once again, new data reveals the sickening scale of air pollution in the capital, and the all-party Suburban Taskforce calls for new limits on permitted development rights. This week the Londown was recorded live from the London Communications Agency offices in Covent Garden with Merlin Fulcher, LCA board director Jenna Goldberg, and the writer and architectural designer Shawn Adams.Apologies for the poor audio quality on Shawn's track – his microphone was not turned on properly.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Gove puts the brakes on Marks and Spencers’ controversial Oxford Street redevelopment, new questions over Secured by Design allowing the police to reshape our cities, fewer new London skyscrapers coming forward despite record approvals, and Thomas Heatherwick’s tree sculpture for the Jubilee.The Londown is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To book a free day pass follow this link.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We recorded this episode at Architect@Work at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. This week our host Phin Harper is joined by Open House Festival Chief Curator Zoe Cave, and Hafsa Adan who is a curatorial assistant at Open City.The Londown is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode of the Londown was recorded live at Kingston University with Open City's Siraaj Mitha, the writer and historian Tom Wilkinson, and architect and senior lecturer at Kingston Laura Evans. We experienced some technical difficulties during the recording, so our apologies for the audio quality in this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Controversial plans to replace ITV’s Southbank studios with new skyscrapers approved. MIPIM: the global property fair where London’s public housing is bought and sold. A conservation row erupts over plans to demolish the 1980s Angel Square in Islington. And the Royal Institute of British Architects seeks a new head of culture just as its diversity chief resigns only one year into the role. Hattie Hartman joins Merlin Fulcher to discuss the big stories in London's architecture, planning and development scene.The Londown is produced by Open City and the London Society in association with with the Architects’ Journal. If you enjoyed the show, we recommend you subscribe to the AJ for all the latest news, building studies, expert opinion, cultural analysis, and business intelligence from the UK architecture industry. Listeners can save 15% on a subscription using this link. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.