This week, London is set to be bright, warm, and action-packed… proving that you don’t need to leave the city in August! From interactive, innovative engineering, to an exhibition of memes, this week’s picks are decidedly fun-filled. 

Check back regularly to keep up to date with London's latest happenings and our weekly recommendations!

I Am London | Open now until 4 September

Featured in the exhibition: Lucy Hawley of London Zoo

London's identity is largely shaped and entwined with its historic buildings and places. This exhibition looks at this through the city’s heritage and the stories of its inhabitants, taking these 60 stories and linking them to their settings within the city. From students to paramedics, and beefeaters to tailors; this selection of people connect the human experience to the built environment. 

"This wonderful exhibition encapsulates how much London has changed over the years, but also reminds us why the capital continues to be the most open, pioneering and diverse city on the planet." 

— The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

Adaptive Structures | Open now until 2 September

Image: UCL

This interesting engineering and design showcase, which explores fundamental principles of strength in design, is a partnership between Gennaro Senatore and Expedition Engineering at the UCL Structures Laboratory. The prototype created in this project is an astonishingly thin 6 metre cantilevered plank. The strength of this structure, allowing it to stay level under loads, is an innovative system of gauges and actuators. The overall idea being to reduce materials, whilst ensuring safety and comfort of users.

The future of this technology, as well live demonstrations, is showcased to the public in this interactive, imaginative exhibition.

Floating Cinema Weekender | The Midday Run (21 August) and Offshore Transactions (19-21 August)

Image: Floating Cinema

The Floating Cinema was created 3 years ago by UP Projects, with the design developed by award-winning Duggan Morris Architects. Since then, the mobile cinema and arts venue has navigated and celebrated the canals and rivers of London and the UK. Each year, the project explores a different theme through a programme of events including film screenings, workshops and talks. This year, the theme of Another Country looks at “London’s position in the world, addresses the forces that are shaping us today and asks, where is our future?” 

The weekend is jammed full of activities, including an interesting opportunity to get inside the mind of a banker, and to go on an art-filled run.

Barbican: Designing for a living city | Open now until 16 October

Image: David Bank

The Barbican residential development was once described by Queen Elizabeth as “one of the modern wonders of the world”. The estate, which was designed to accommodate 6000 people within a 35 acre site, certainly has not lost its intrigue, as it continues to attract tourists and fans alike year on year. 

This exhibition explores the controversial design of the iconic concrete high-rise, showcasing the original promotional material and architectural plans and investigating the utopian ideal for inner-city living.

What Do You Meme? | 18-22 August

Image: Alex Rimmer

"Examples of memes are tunes, ideas, catchphrases, clothes fashions, ways of making pots or of building arches.”

— Richard Dawkins, A Selfish Gene

Richard Dawkins is widely accredited to having first used ‘meme’ in 1976, defining the way we use it today. Since then, and especially in recent years, memes have become more and more mainstream, leaking out from the shadows of the internet, and into the everyday. What Do You Meme? is a celebration of this phenomenon and a chance to explore the origins and impacts of the concept. 

From URL to IRL, the meme has evolved to become a key communication tool, especially in terms of political satire, and the influence of memes has reached from public addresses to advertising. 

Join for insight, and a bit of fun… the opening night even has a special cocktail created for it.

Also keep track of our weekly event picks for New York City and Los Angeles.

Have an event you want to submit? Send it to Bustler for review here.