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This past June, London celebrated its annual London Festival of Architecture. The festival showcases exhibitions, installations, workshops, and other events highlighting architecture and design in the city. This year, London-based designer Yinka Ilori created two projects that filled... View full entry
Forensic Architecture has announced its decision to withdraw from the 2019 Whitney Biennial. The London-based research group has also requested to replace its 10-minute video about the global spread of tear gas and bullets produced by companies linked to Whitney Museum vice chairman Warren Kanders, with new evidence they’ve found that directly links the weapons manufacturer to violence on the Israeli-Palestinian border in Gaza. — Hyperallergic
The fallout over the unethical business ties of certain members of the Whitney Museum of American Art's board of trustees continues unabated. Forensic Architecture's decision to join seven other exhibitors in withdrawing from the prestigious 2019 Whitney Biennial exhibition comes as the art... View full entry
Segregated play spaces are to be banned in all future London housing developments, the Greater London Authority (GLA) has revealed this week.
The policy, part of the London Plan for developers and local authorities across the city, follows outrage across the political spectrum at the case of the Lilian Baylis estate in Kennington. [...] families living in the social housing side of the estate were not allowed to use the play area or any communal spaces on the development.
— The Guardian
"It is disgraceful that children who live in the same development would ever be prevented from playing together," London Mayor Sadiq Khan told The Guardian. The case of the segregated play areas at this London housing development (and several others) — only children from Lilian Baylis... View full entry
A free climber has scaled the Shard, one of the tallest buildings in Europe. [...]
Onlookers posted footage of the climber, who, according to the Daily Mirror, made most of the ascent without ropes or suction cups.
— The Guardian
"Police were called at 5.15am on Monday 8 July following reports of a free climber on the Shard. Emergency services attended and the man went inside the building where he was spoken to by officers. He was not arrested," The Guardian quotes a section of the Metropolitan police report from this... View full entry
American attorneys famous for claims in construction disasters have launched a landmark wrongful death lawsuit in Philadelphia against three US companies on behalf of 69 of the 72 people killed in the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, and 177 who were injured in the tragedy. — Global Construction Review
"They are targeting Arconic, Inc., which they claim supplied the Reynobond Polyethylene Cladding (PE) panels on Grenfell; Celotex Corporation, which they claim supplied the insulation used in the cladding system; and Whirlpool Corporation, which manufactured the fridge-freezer thought to be linked... View full entry
The head of the Serpentine Galleries has resigned after the Guardian revealed she is the co-owner of an Israeli cyberweapons company whose software has allegedly been used by authoritarian regimes to spy on dissidents.
On Tuesday, Yana Peel announced she was stepping down as the chief executive of the prestigious London art gallery so the work of the Serpentine would not be undermined by what she called “misguided personal attacks on me and my family”.
— The Guardian
Announcing her unexpected departure from the Serpentine Galleries in a statement, Yana Peel said, “I have decided I am better able to continue my work in supporting the arts, the advancement of human rights, and freedom of expression by moving away from my current role.” Peel added, “The... View full entry
London's Heathrow Airport has unveiled a transformative, Grimshaw Architects-designed masterplan proposal that could reshape the airport as well as its immediate surroundings. As part of the plan, airport authorities aim to open a third runway to the north of the London airport by... View full entry
A flowing canopy roof of slates has emerged in recent weeks in the pristine gardens of London's Serpentine Galleries. Supported by a forest of superslim columns, the cavernous space will begin welcoming guests this week as the galleries' 2019 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Japanese architect... View full entry
For thrill-seeking swimmers, the chance to take a death-defying dip might not be far away. Plans to build a rooftop infinity pool -- with 360-degree views of the London skyline -- are in motion.
The designs for the 600,000-liter pool and 55-story building, named Infinity London, have been unveiled by Compass Pools.
— CNN Style
Infinity pools? Seen those before. On a skyscraper rooftop? Please. 360 degrees? Now we're talking! "The pool is made from cast acrylic rather than glass, as this material transmits light at a similar wavelength to water so that the pool will look perfectly clear," British pool maker Compass Pools... View full entry
An eclectic range of project types is represented in this year's RIBA London Awards which were just announced by the Royal Institute of British Architects. The 47 winning projects were selected from 83 shortlisted projects published in March and feature new work by some of the UK's heavy hitters... View full entry
The City of London’s new tallest building, PLP’s 22 Bishopsgate tower which completes next year, has reached its highest point
The 62-storey skyscraper for French investment manager AXA IM – Real Assets and development partner Lipton Rogers officially topped out at 294.52m AOD (above ordnance datum) or 278m above ground.
— Architect's Journal
The new 22 Bishopsgate tower (formerly the Pinnacle/Helter Skelter) now stands taller than its nearby City of London neighbors, the Cheesegrater and Heron Tower, but can't quite reach the height of the Renzo Piano-designed Shard near London Bridge.Rendering of 22 Bishopsgate in its urban context... View full entry
Diller Scofidio + Renfro is well into the process of building a new linear park, this time in London's Greenwich Peninsula — making it the city's first riverfront linear park. Dubbed as “The Tide”, the 5-kilometer park will link cultural and social attractions across the peninsula. DS+R was... View full entry
As any student of architecture or design will know, the attendance of a Stanley Kubrick exhibition is an experience not to miss. The recently opened exhibition at London's Design Museum, following those at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Barcelona's CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporània... View full entry
The controversial Tulip skyscraper in the City was granted planning approval today despite huge concerns about its impact on historic views of London.
The decision by the City of London Corporation’s planning committee paves the way for the 305.3-metre high structure on Bury Street, which will be western Europe’s second tallest building after the Shard.
— Evening Standard
Despite all controversy surrounding the 1,000-foot-tall Tulip Tower, the Foster + Partners-designed project appears to have breezed through the approval process since it was first unveiled last November. Credit: DBOX for Foster + Partners"This building—a lift shaft with a bulge on top—would... View full entry
Details and designs have been revealed for the MSG Sphere London, a planned venue that would hold up to 21,500 people. [...]
The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG), which is behind the New York concert and sports venue of the same name, have bought a 1.9-hectare (4.7-acre) site in Stratford, adjacent to the Olympic Park and Westfield shopping centre, that was used as a coach park during the 2012 London Olympics.
— The Guardian
Image: Madison Square Garden CompanyInitially rumored in January 2018, London's sphere-shaped music venue proposal, designed by Populous, has substantially taken shape, and the Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) behind the project has reportedly now filed planning documents. The plans have been... View full entry
