Duggan Morris Architects designs 2013 Floating Cinema

The Hackney-based practice won a competition launched in May this year, and was chosen from a shortlist of five international practices including OBRA (New York/Beijing), Nilsson Pflugfelder (London/Berlin) and London’s vPPR.

The competition was organised by UP Projects and The Architecture Foundation, and the Legacy List-commissioned project is part of the Bloomberg East series of programs for east London’s waterways, working in partnership with the Canal and River Trust.

Duggan Morris Architects’ proposal A Strange Cargo of Extra-Ordinary Objects is described by organisers as ‘a robust and practical, as well as highly inventive and imaginative, response to the brief.’

UP Projects director and curator Emma Underhill says, ‘Their proposal and their commitment and enthusiasm for the project is exceptional and we are really excited to see how the new Floating Cinema will develop from here.

‘Equally important to the quality of their design was the architects’ openness to collaboration with us and the Floating Cinema artists Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie and I’m sure the final result will provide a really unique and special resource for the waterways.’

The Floating Cinema project debuted in 2011, with a design by Hackney-based architects Studio Weave and artist duo Somewhere (Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie), and hosted screenings, canal tours and other events.

Next year’s Floating Cinema will run a similar programme when it launches in June 2013, based around the theme ‘Extra-Ordinary’.