Architecture festival to welcome designers

For the first time, designers and design consultancies are to get the chance to take part in the London Festival of Architecture, which takes place next summer for one month.

The 2008 event, which is in its third year, is calling for design consultancies, individuals, artists and organisations to contribute concepts for exhibitions, installations, talks, walks, cycle rides, events and forums.

The number five is a key theme for the festival, which will be sited in five hubs across the city, in conjunction with five architectural institutions taking part in the delivery of events. Five sub-themes, around the idea of ‘fresh’, are to be explored – fresh thinking, fresh talent, fresh approach, fresh air and fresh food, within the context of architecture and the built environment.

‘We are looking at responses under the theme of “fresh”,’ says Sarah Ichioka, deputy director of the London Festival of Architecture. ‘We are interested in encouraging other professions, in addition to architects, to bring a new approach to the built environment. Before, it has been architects who have been more attracted to the festival, but now we are going to try to expand our field, audience and contributors.’

The festival organisers are keen to promote crossdisciplinary collaborations to devise concepts, while aiming to be as inclusive as possible and allowing designers to come up with something they are really interested in.

As part of the 2008 festival, a special international event will involve foreign embassies organising exhibitions of the work of fresh talent and ideas from architects in their countries. The Architecture Student Festival will run concurrently.

With branding for the festival created by its design consult ancy Manha, the architectural institutions involved in delivery of events or as overall hub curators are Design for London, The Architecture Foundation, New London Architecture, Riba London and Riba Trust.

It takes place from 20 June to 20 July 2008.

To submit a concept for consideration visit www.lfa2008.org. The closing date is 30 November.