London Festival of Architecture 2008

The London Festival of Architecture 2008 - a celebration and exploration of the city's buildings, streets and spaces, aimed at Londoners and visitors alike - will run from 20 June to 20 July.



The buzz of activity will move across five key areas, or 'hubs', with large-scale public events taking place in a different hub each weekend. Each of the Hubs covers an area with a very different character - historic, present and future - and full of different institutions and activities.

 UCL President and Provost Professor Malcolm Grant chairs the festival's Bloomsbury Hub.

The start of the festival coincides with the opening night of the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture's Summer Show, held in the Front Quad and the UCL Slade School of Fine Art. The show will be opened by architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw.

The festival includes street installations, exhibitions, guided walks, cycle rides, boat tours of the city's river and canals, parties, design workshops, debates, breakfast talks and weekend street markets.

The festival involves the work of many hundreds of professionals and volunteers, and aims to provide thought-provoking new perspectives on London. Headline events include lectures by leading international architects David Chipperfield, Daniel Libeskind, Cesar Pelli and Rem Koolhaas and by LFA President, Peter Ackroyd as well as Big Breakfasts at spectacular venues such as the British Museum, with speakers including Jon Snow and Janet Street-Porter sharing their views of London.



Specially commissioned pavilions will provide platforms for debate and performance, while new street furniture invites passers by to take a seat and look with fresh eyes at London's public spaces.

 More than 25 international embassies are exhibiting architecture from their particular countries, and a dozen temporary installations will occupy streets across the city as part of the National Architecture Student Festival.

Many events are free and open to all.

To find out more, use the links at the top of this article or visit the festival headquarters at the Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London WC1E, between 20 June and 20 July, to collect information and advice about festival events, and contribute to our interactive exhibition.