EVENTS/EXHIBITIONS: London Festival of Architecture

This years London festival of architecture which will run through-out June brings with it a series of interesting events for any architecture fan. Below I have listed the events which may be of interest to fans of Brutalist architecture. Unfortunately the rather inadequate booklet does not give a description of the events so I am going by the names! If you have any other suggestions let me know.  

EXHIBITIONS:

'The Brutalist Playground' 
where: RIBA 
when: 10 June -16 August (10am-5pm) 

'The Barbican Exhibition: Building a Landmark (already featured)'
when: 25 May - 29 November (in Barbican opening times)
where: Barbican foyer at the Barbican centre

TOUR:
'TACK-ON-TOURS: The Ugliest Buildings in London' 
where: Hoax Theatre
when: 6,7,13,14,20,21,27,28 June 11am and 3pm each day 
- also inevitably featuring many brutalist buildings!

DEBATE:
'Rise and Fall of the Council Estate'
where: RIBA
when: 23 June (7-8.40pm) 
- Possibly of interest, it will give a wider context to the rise of fall of the brutalist style in Council estates.  

> For more information visit the London Festival of Architecture website here

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EXHIBITION: 'The Barbican Exhibition: building a landmark'

The latest in a series of exhibitions about the building of the Barbican has opened in the Barbican arts centre featured a series of fascinating (and many unseen before) pictures during construction which spanned several decades and the overcame many technical challenges (such as the burial of the underground lines underneath the arts centre as well as the creation of acceptable sound acoustics in the confined space of the new underground theatre).

Directions: the exhibition is set in the corner by the stairwell and entrance from the Highwalk on the ground floor (If entering the complex via the main lakeside entrance it is on the right-hand side near the cafe).   

More information on directions and the exhibition HERE

A unrelated series of photographs which compliment the exhibiton can be seen HERE

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EXHIBITION: Something Fierce University of Essex: Vision and Reality

Image of the Essex university Library

A new exhibition running from 7 October to 13 December 2014 at the Coldchester campus of Essex university will be celebrating 50 years of its bold and brutalist architecture. The new university designed by Kenneth Capon from its founding in 1964 to embrace the architectural style of the day and to encourage its scholars to emulate its boldness. 

"The exhibition details how our architecture has influenced the people who have lived and worked in the University. In particular it tells the story of how since the 1960's Essex has become home to the tenacious and the bold, home to those that don’t just talk about a better world, but work together to create one - and why challenging convention is in our DNA." 
The exhibition promises scale models and original drawings as well as a look at the many brutalist buildings on campus. The exhibition will be housed in the Hexagon, an iconic building built at the birth of the University.

7 October to 13 December 2014 - Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11am to 5pm
(Welcome Week: Monday 29 September to Saturday 4 October 2014 - 11am to 5pm)

For further details and information on opening times please see their website 

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EXHIBITION: The anatomy of a building: Denys Lasdun and the Royal College of Physicians

A unique exhibition opening on 8 September marks the centenary of the birth of one of Britain’s greatest architects, Sir Denys Lasdun, in the iconic setting of his masterpiece, the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).

The anatomy of a building: Denys Lasdun and the Royal College of Physicians runs from 8 September 2014 to 13 February 2015, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

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EXHIBITION: Brutalist architecture in London

Following the brilliant exhibition at the new Wellington arch exhibition space at Hyde Park corner which celebrated the story of preservation during the 20th century of 19th century architecture by the likes of John Betjeman (Pride and Prejudice [now finished]) there now follows another exhibition this time the fight for the preservation of the 20th century architecture. 'Brutal and beautiful' - saving the 20th century will tell the less widely known story of the continuing fight for brutalist architecture right up to the present day and the battle to protect and educate people about brutalist architecture as John Betjeman and his contemporaries did for 19th century buildings.

25th September- 24th November 2013 
For details: 
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/events/brutal-and-beautiful-wa-25-sep/

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