Open City

Description: This week on The Brief, Merlin Fulcher is joined by Giles Smith, a founding member of the Turner Prize winning art, architecture and design collective Assemble, to discuss:

Milton Keynes’ original planners call for more social homes in the latest new towns // New plans are set out for a world-leading cultural hub in the remote Scottish Highlands // A discovery in Shropshire offers a breathtaking incite into English architectural heritage // And finally, the great and good of architecture have been celebrated in the New Year Honours list

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In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a podcast which broadcasts the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our third debate of the year, “Rethinking Recruitment”, where we ask: just how transparent is the recruitment process in the field of architecture and design? Moderators Siraaj Mitha and Jasmin Yeo are joined by six guest speakers: Andrea Villate, Associate Architect who, at the time, was driving talent development and HR policies at architecture practice RCKa; Mat Barnes, architect and director of CAN, an architecture and design studio based in London; Accelerate-al...

This week on The Brief Merlin Fulcher is joined by curator of Digital Design at the V&A Natalie Kane to discuss:

The president of the Royal Institute of British Architects tears up his accreditation in a bid for greater protection // Nnena Kalu wins the 2025 Turner Prize in a breakthrough for neurodiverse artists // London architecture grandee Peter Murray announces a mayoral bid // And finally, amid a surge in new data centres could now be the time for a design rebrand?

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Deconstructed. Matilda House - Co-operative Council Housing. In this episode, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Dr Holly Smith to discuss Matilda House, the home of a radical experiment in co-operative housing which was welcomed by politicians of all stripes as a solution to the crises of the late 1970s. Matilda House is one of several projects discussed in Smith's new book, 'Up in the Air: A History of High-Rise Britain', which we also discuss.

Archive photos: © Stephen and Matilda Tenants’ Cooperative © Paul Barbara © Barbara Philips

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This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by the writer and activist, Adam Peggs to discuss:

Rough sleeping surges to post pandemic-high // Government housebuilding forecast downgraded // New measures to ease planning for homes near transport hubs // And an alternative vision to save Liverpool Street Station’s vaulted glass concourse roof from being lost to redevelopment

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal...

In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a new podcast from Open City, broadcasting the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our second debate of the year, “Constructive Criticism”, where we ask: where do we draw the line between constructive and destructive criticism in the field of architecture? Moderator Siraaj Mitha is joined by five guest speakers: Shumi Bose, Senior Lecturer in Architecture at Central Saint Martins; Alberto Villanueva who is Associate Professor and Programme Director at Ravensbourne University; Accelerate-alumna and graduate sustainable design consultant at Savills Aretha Ahunanya; Jenny Ru...

This week on The Brief Sahiba Chadha is joined by the architect and co-founder of We Made That, Holly Lewis, to discuss:

AI nimbyism threatens to upend UK planning // Highstreet developer goes into liquidation // VAT imbalances found to be incentivising demolition // And a furore over plans to install uPVC windows on Peter Barber’s award-winning housing in Bow

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architec...

In this episode of Deconstructed, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Alfred Yatlong Yeung to discuss British multiculturalism through the lens of The Old Justice in South Bermondsey, a South Korean styled public house that was built by Sidney C Clark in 1933.

If you’ve enjoyed this series about the London County Council, check out @LCC_Legacy on Instagram. (

https://www.instagram.com/lcc_legacy)

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cul...

In this episode, technical editor and deputy architecture editor of the Architects’ Journal Fran Williams is joined by Dinah Bornat, an architect and co-founder of ZCD Architects. She’s also the author of All to Play For: How to design child-friendly housing, published by the RIBA in February this year. Together they discuss:

A new House of Commons report demands a greater role for children in urban design // UK architectural businesses face growing financial strain // London’s affordable housing ratio slips amid a watering down of development guidelines // And the architects picked for the long-awaited pedestrianisation of Oxfo...

In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a new podcast from Open City, broadcasting the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our first debate of the year, “Designing A Safer City”, asking: what does safety in the public realm really mean? Moderators Siraaj Mitha and Jasmin Yeo are joined by five guest speakers: Gaia Crocella, senior researcher at Publica; Accelerate alumna Bhavni Ghedia; Ciaran Thapar, from the Youth Endowment Fund; artist Hanna Benihoud; and Dr David Knight, founding co-director of dk-cm.

Hosts: Manijeh Verghese and Siraaj Mitha Duration: 00:51:35

This week on The Brief Sahiba Chadha is joined by the BBC broadcaster, writer and journalist Samira Ahmed to discuss the biggest stories in architecture, conservation planning news:

A 21st century almshouse in Southwark wins the Stirling Prize // How Labour ministers are consistently rejecting Historic England’s listing advice // A bid to save Nottinghamshire’s landmark cooling towers flounders // And a competition to rethink the Denys Lasdun-designed Ziggurats at the University of East Anglia

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In this episode, the finale in a trilogy to mark 60 years since the end of the London County Council, Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Dr Rosamund Lily West, Lecturer in Architectural Studies at the University of Manchester. They discussed Plumstead Common, a municipal park in South East London, the site of riots over access to green space by the organised working class communities of Woolwich and one of the first public parks adopted by the newly created London County Council. They explored the complex history of late-Victorian urban parks, the hierarchies of their administration and the policing of...

In this episode, host Fran Williams is joined by Jos Boys, a disability design activist who co-founded Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative and is co-director of The DisOrdinary Architecture Project. Together they discuss:

The government reveals the sites for its first new towns // A £5 billion pound fund is launched to revive ‘overlooked’ communities // The Royal Institute of British Architects inaugurates its new president // And we remember a pioneer in postmodern architecture – Terry Farrell

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Conn...

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by Dr Jane Hall, architectural historian and founding member of the Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble. Together they discuss:

Lords call for stronger leadership for the government’s new towns // The UK’s largest architecture firm reports record-breaking turnover amid a surge in global projects // Campaigners against the old Museum of London’s demolition win the right to appeal // And they are the biggest cars on the road… could a new tax on sports utility vehicles raise £2 billion for the UK?

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In this episode, host Sahiba Chadha is joined by architecture and design writer and features editor at STIR. Anmol Ahuja. Together they discuss:

Can the new housing secretary deliver on the government’s 1.5 million homes pledge? // The shortlist for this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize is revealed // Greenwich and Kent merger to create the UK’s first ‘super-university’ // And a Finnish architect wins the contest for a Helsinki site which has been the focus of thousands of competing designs

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The Open City...

In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Nigel Smith, who runs ‘Memory Palaces’, a website and programme of walking tours to explore the history of London’s cinemas. They discussed the Carlton Cinema on Essex Road, Islington, which first opened to the public in a grand ceremony in 1930, and represents the changing fashions and fate for cinema-going throughout the 20th-century.

Nigel will be giving walking tours of London cinemas over the coming months, including the Carlton. For more information, check out his website:

https://memorypalaces.co.uk/walks/former-carlton-cinema/

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In this episode, host Fran Williams is joined by Open House Festival Director Celia Mead. Celia is a management consultant who has run major organisations and cultural heritage festivals to discuss:

Less than ten days until Open House Festival 2025 // Environmental concerns over plans to redevelop Liverpool Street Station // An unexpected fall in UK house prices // And Donald Trump’s campaign to ‘Make Federal Architecture Beautiful Again’

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture pla...

Buzzwords is a new pilot podcast from Open City, produced in collaboration with the arts and culture podcast EMPIRE LINES. The podcast unpacks words and phrases often overused in the fields of art and architecture. Produced by curator, writer, and researcher Jelena Sofronijevic, each episode invites artists, curators, architects, and academics to consider what we really mean when we use terms like “sustainable” or “decolonised.”

In this episode, Jelena speaks with artist Jasmina Cibic about the idea of “care thinking” and what it means to be both care-ful and care-less in the practice, pe...

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the Head of Climate Action and Public Health at Love Design Studio and Shade the UK, Polly Turton. Together, they discuss the biggest stories this week in architecture and planning news:

Warnings over dangerously hot UK homes amid a fourth heatwave this year // The search begins for design teams to upgrade Oxford Street // Brick Lane regeneration plans symbolically rejected // And how a North London school hall could become the UK’s first Museum of Brutalist Architecture

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In this episode, the second of a trilogy to mark 60 years since the end of the London County Council, Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Dr Ruth Lang. They discussed London County Hall, the purpose-built home of the London County Council which sits on the south bank of the Thames at Westminster. It was designed by Ralph Knott and built from 1911–1939 and was the home of London’s Municipal government until the abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986.

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In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the architecture journalist and co-host of The Brief Fran Williams. Together, they discuss the biggest stories this week in architecture and planning news:

Kew Gardens opens a brand new carbon garden and pavilion // Conservation groups unite to rescue a Brutalist gem in the Scottish borders // Restoration plans for Bexhill’s De La Warr Pavilion revealed // And an opportunity for built environment exhibits inside one of London’s greatest postmodern landmarks

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The Open...

InterCities is a six-part podcast series from Open City. In it, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes.

In this episode, our host Owen Hatherley is joined by Brian Hioe, a Taiwanese-American writer and academic based in Taipei, known for co-founding New Bloom Magazine and for his work exploring Taiwan’s youth movements, politics, and culture. His 2025 debut novel, Taipei at Daybreak, blends activism and fiction to explore the emot...

In this episode, host Sahiba Chadha will be joined by guest Mike Althorpe, an architectural researcher at Karakusevic Carson Architects and the mastermind behind The London Ambler tours. They will be discussing:

The programme for this year’s Open House Festival goes live // Bold plans to pedestrianise London’s West End revealed // A last chance to save Milton Keynes landmark pyramid from demolition // And could nightclubbing offer a lifeline to London’s troubled office blocks?

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In this episode of Deconstructed, host Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Shukri Sultan, a lecturer at Westminster University, to explore the story of Al Manaar Mosque in West London. Together, they unpack how this unassuming building became a vital hub for faith, community, and resilience — especially in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.

Correction, the correct meaning of the word masjid is not "place of prayer", a more accurate translation would be "place of prostration”.

The end quote is attributed to Mariyama Sanyang, Community Coordinator at Al Manaar, who took the time...

In this episode, host and Open City architectural director Merlin Fulcher will be joined by guest Sarah Carrington, the new Director of The Line, a public art trail that connects Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The O2. They will be discussing:

Norman Foster picked to design Queen Elizabeth’s memorial // The majority of architects are now using AI according to a new study // A major low-carbon heating project gets the green light in Oxford // And SAVE Britain’s Heritage reveals its latest Buildings At Risk register

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InterCities is a six-part podcast series from Open City. In it, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes.

In this episode, our host Owen Hatherley is joined by the Israeli-born, UK-based academic and writer Dr Yair Wallach who specialises in the urban history of the Middle East. Today the focus is his 2020 book “A City in Fragments: Urban Text in Modern Jerusalem” which explores the city's history through ephemera and urban text and we...

In this episode, host Sahiba Chadha is joined by Sharon Giffen, Head of Design at The Earls Court Development Company and an architect with more than 20 years experience leading large scale masterplans and infrastructure projects. They will be discussing:

Plymouth high street regeneration wins the 2025 Davidson Prize // From ‘living wage’ to ‘living hours, how an architecture firm is changing working life // Oxford Street’s pedestrianisation set to finally go ahead // And Open City’s Accelerate team is making waves at the AJ100 Awards

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In this episode of Deconstructed - the first of a trilogy to mark 60 years since the end of the London County Council - Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Dr Dawn Pereira, historian of architectural sculpture and author of a forthcoming monograph on the artist William Mitchell. They discuss Crystal Palace Park, from its origins as the home of Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace, which was moved from the Great Exhibition at Hyde Park to form a permanent new collection on the hilltops of South London. After the destruction of the palace in a fire in 1936, the London County Co...

In this episode, host Sahiba Chadha is joined by Billy Reading, Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas for Historic England to discuss:

A major estate agent casts doubt over Labour’s housebuilding targets // Hawkins\Brown wins the contest to upgrade St Pancras // Campaigners call for Central YMCA’s listing // And Norman Foster celebrates his 90th birthday

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Socie...

InterCities is a six-part podcast series from Open City. In it, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes.

In this episode, our host Owen Hatherley is joined by the Ukranian architect and urban historian Ievgeniia Gubkina. Gubkina was born in the northeastern Ukranian city of Kharkiv and lived there until the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after which she fled with her teenage daughter and now lives in London in exile. To...

In this episode, host Fran Williams is joined by the architect Daniel Innes, committee member of Architecture LGBT+ to discuss:

The Mayor of London concedes to green belt housing // Five competing visions for a new Queen Elizabeth II memorial revealed // New plans announced to upgrade the Barbican Centre // And a sneak peek inside LGBT+ issue of the Architects’ Journal’s

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Ar...

In this episode of Deconstructed, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Calvin Po, Strategic Lead at Dark Matter Labs, Unit Master at the Architectural Association and architecture critic at The Spectator. They discuss 159 Marlborough Road, a house on a typical suburban street in Romford, which was the scene in 1954 of a tragic death resulting from Compulsory Purchase powers created by the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act.

The content of this episode can be distressing for some people as it mentions suicide. If this affects you, contact the Samartians, a free and confidential service available 24 hours a d...

In this episode, host Fran Williams is joined by Stella Mutegi, founding director of Cave Bureau and co-curator of the British Pavilion at this year’s Venice Architecture Biennale.

Architecture and ‘colonial afterlives’ take centre stage in this year’s British Pavilion at Venice // Gaza’s reconstruction hangs in the balance as Israel vows 'indefinite' military occupation // Proliferating space debris threatening to leave Earth’s orbit an impenetrable junkyard // And a new space dedicated to tackling climate change at Kew Gardens

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban env...

InterCities is a brand new podcast from the team at Open City. In this six-part series, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes.

In this episode, our host Owen Hatherley is joined by the author and academic Dubravka Sekulić. Sekulić was born in one of Serbia’s lesser-known cities Niš but today, she’s walking us through the capital of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and current capital of Serbia, Belgrade...

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the CEO of Open City, Vickie Hayward to discuss:

The Twentieth Century Society reveals its latest list of architectural heritage at risk // Architects voice copyright fears over the government’s AI plans // A landowner serves notice on a pioneering food forest garden in Devon // And the barriers holding back a community-led housing boom in London

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

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In this episode of Deconstructed, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Ewan Harrison, architectural historian and lecturer at the Manchester School of Architecture, University of Manchester. They discuss Euston Station, designed by William Robert Headley and Ray Moorcroft of British Railways in the early 1960s, in consultation with Richard Seifert, who later designed the commercial office scheme which surrounded the concourse on the south side.

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The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app and produced in as...

On The Brief this week, host Fran Williams is joined by Peter George, Strategic Director of Economy and Sustainability at Ealing Council.

Government announces a £2 billion pound boost for affordable and social homes // Design Council warns ‘typical’ approach to new homes may derail zero carbon goals // Studio Egret West reveals plans for the UK’s largest office-to-residential conversion in Croydon // And the London homes pushing raw sewage directly into the Thames

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking...

InterCities is a brand new podcast from the team at Open City. In this six-part series, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes.

In our second episode, our host Owen Hatherley is joined by the broadcaster, writer and photographer Johny Pitts. Johny is a Sheffield-native and has witnessed first-hand the huge social and architectural change the city has undergone since the early 1990s. Today, we use photographs from "After the End of His...

On The Brief this week, host Fran Williams is joined by Robin Nicholson, fellow of Cullanan Studios, to discuss:

Plans for new 100 thousand-seat Manchester United stadium // Top architecture firms announce redundancies // Labour's new planning and infrastructure bill // And the winner of the 2025 Pritzker Prize

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a n...

In this episode of Deconstructed, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Petra Cox – heritage educator, Open City tour guide and Golden Key Academy graduate. They discuss Crossness Pumping Station, constructed from 1859–65 by William Webster to designs by Charles Henry Driver to serve the entire southern half of Joseph Bazalgette's London sewer system. Commissioned by the Metropolitan Board of Works, it transformed London's public health and sanitation, and large parts of the sewer system are still in use today.

Petra Cox will lead a new Open City tour of Crossness and its sewage system on 4 May and 31 May...

On The Brief this week, host Sahiba Chadha is joined by the editor of London Centric Jim Waterson, to discuss:

The man behind Criterion Capital, Asif Aziz // Safety concerns around London Lime bikes // Demonstrations in Peckham against high-rise regeneration // And what this year's winner of the Jane Drew Prize says about architecture in 2025.

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in B...

InterCities is a brand new podcast from the team at Open City. In this six-part series, we travel to a number of cities and boroughs around the world that have transformed over time to discover what we can learn from these places’ achievements, struggles, successes and mistakes.

In our first episode, our host Owen Hatherly is joined by the architect Ana Francisco Sutherland, the director of Francisco Sutherland Architects. Through the lens of Ana’s latest book Modern Buildings in Blackheath and Greenwich, the pair discuss the changing face of the London borough of Greenwich. In a pla...

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the CEO of Open City, Manijeh Verghese to discuss:

UK government unveils plans for dozens of new towns across England // The proposed dismantling of Grenfell Tower is met with strong opposition // Japanese architecture duo SANAA win the 2025 RIBA Royal Gold Medal // And the spiritual leader and champion of Islamic architecture, the Aga Khan, has died at the age of 88

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

In this episode of Deconstructed, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by George Saumarez Smith, Design Director at ADAM Architecture. They discuss the church of St Anne's Limehouse, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and consecrated in 1730 as one of the 'Queen Anne Churches' built by the New Church Commission. 

St Anne's Limehouse is currently campaigning to raise funds for repairs ahead of their tercentenary, with a programme of public events ongoing: https://www.hawksmoor300limehouse.com/.

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open Ci...

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by Jon Wright, an historian and 20 Century lead at Purcell to discuss:

Plans to revamp London’s Brutalist Barbican Centre // A redevelopment bid for Denys Lasdun’s ‘glass castle’ // Tributes for legendary Archigram member Dennis Crompton // And a campaign to save Soho’s Prince Charles cinema.

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. B...

This week Sahiba Chadha is joined by Julian Maynard, industrial designer and the managing director of Maynard Design Group. 

The Elizabeth Line spurs on new development, but across England, planning approvals for housing have seen record lows // A transformative redesign of London’s Regent Street area is won by Allies and Morrison // The first-ever winner of the RIBA Stirling prize is set to be demolished in Salford // And the devastating fires in Los Angeles destroy Modernist landmarks

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In the first episode of Deconstructed, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Eleanor Marshall, an architectural designer and civil servant at the Department for Transport who runs Open City’s London Public Health Architecture Walking Tour. They discuss Finsbury Health Centre, an iconic modernist building in Clerkenwell, designed by the architect Berthold Lubetkin’s practice Tecton and built for Finsbury Borough Council from 1935–8.

Eleanor appeared in a video discussing Lubetkin’s legacy, especially his housing at Bevin Court, which you can watch here: https://open-city.org.uk/films/marxism-and-london-ep1 

Deconstructed is a new monthly s...

This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by journalist and YouTuber Jon Stone to discuss the week's major stories in architecture and the built environment:

Ministers warned UK housing crisis threatens the economy and NHS recovery // How 2025 could be transformative for London cycling // A new study suggests doubling London St Pancras International’s capacity // And could the Palace of Westminster witness a catastrophic Notre Dame-style inferno?

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

The Bri...

De-constructed is Open City's brand new podcast which explores buildings, places, landscapes and communities, taking apart their architecture piece by piece to better understand what makes them so compelling.

Each month, Matthew Lloyd Robert is joined by a different guest and transported to a location of their choice, that reveals something about the past, present and future of the built environment in London and beyond. 

Paying tribute to ancient and new, remarkable and everyday, we will help you see these city landmarks with fresh eyes.

Hosted on A...

This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by Peter Murray OBE, the co-founder of New London Architecture to discuss the week's major stories in architecture and the built environment:

Angela Rayner approves M&S’s contentious Oxford Street redevelopment // Keir Starmer sets down new Housing and Infrastructure pledges  // New data shows average house prices are no longer affordable on average incomes // And just how safe are the City of London’s streets for pedestrians and cyclists?

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This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by the author, columnist and SAVE founding trustee Simon Jenkins to discuss: 

Smithfields meat market closes for good after 850 years // Councils raise concerns over unrealistic government housing targets // Brighton’s i360 enters administration // And cycling in London booms more than 25 per cent in the past five years

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The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bure...

This week Sahiba Chadha is joined by award winning architect Gurmeet Sian, to discuss: 

Government design champion, the Office for Place is scrapped // New powers for councils to tackle empty High Street units // Angela Rayner massively restricts right to buy for new council homes // And a new campaign by the Twentieth Century Society to list recent buildings which are … ‘coming of age’ 

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

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This week Fran Williams is joined by Ramsey Yassa, an architect and founding director of NOOMA studio, to discuss: 

UK architects facing scrutiny amid reports of 21,000 Saudi worker deaths // ACME takes over and reveals scaled-back Liverpool St station revamp plans // Mouldy, hard-to-heat rental homes spell royal scandal for Prince William // And is the architectural profession facing the precipice amid a major exodus of talent

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This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by the architectural worker, writer and editors of the magazine Failed Architecture to discuss: 

Rachel Reeves commits £500 million pounds more for affordable housing // Leading economist calls on Labour to spend large on arts and culture projects // David Chipperfield’s Chinese Embassy plans called in by Angela Rayner // And reflecting on the centenary of the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley

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This week Sahiba Chadha is joined by the architect Tara Gbolade to discuss: 

Rachel Reeves' £1 billion boost for council housing in the autumn budget // How planning reform and design codes could help create 1.5 million homes // Calls for the government to engage more with architects on retrofit // And the architecture critic, Joseph Rykwert, has died aged 98

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices loca...

This week Fran Williams is joined by the architectural journalist Amy Frearson to discuss: 

The Elizabeth Line comes out on top at this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize // Government housing targets branded ‘unrealistic’ by local authorities // The Olympic Park gets a refresh with a new public space for young women and girls // And the £4 million pound battle for Bethnal Green Working Men's Club

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

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This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by the architect David Ogunmuyiwa to discuss:

A luxury Croydon tower needing ‘extensive’ remediation after only two years // The president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Muyiwa Oki announces a rebrand // Mayor picks top names for London’s new ‘town architects’ // And the campaign to see 11 Jubilee Line stations given protected heritage status

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open...

This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by writer and housing activist Adam Peggs to discuss:

Run for profit affordable homes spark rent rise fears // Questions over the government’s 1.5 million homes pledge amid troubling housing market data // London’s mayor approves controversial Wimbledon tennis redevelopment plans // And the government is set to back HS2 to Euston amid a growing outcry over the current station’s performance

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

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This week Sahiba Chadha is joined by the renowned tree expert and author, Paul Wood, to discuss:

Sycamore Gap one year on // Labour's ‘brownfield passports’ for new housing // the UK's missed tree-planting targets // and how millions of Britons want their cities carfree according to a new poll.

To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City friend by clicking here.

The Brief is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for c...

This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by Ewan Harrison, a lecturer in Architectural Studies at the University of Manchester.

Campaigners lose bid to save Birmingham’s brutalist Ringway Centre // Sadiq Khan wins new powers to pedestrianise Oxford Street // Listing bid for Portsmouth Civic Offices blocked // And an abandoned leisure centre in West Yorkshire reimagined as a state-of-the-art skate park

The Brief is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.

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This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by Tomi Balogun, a young architect studying the Bartlett and winner of the Beyond The Box People's Pavilion prize 2023.

The Grenfell inquiry’s damning verdict sees architect Studio E given ‘very significant’ responsibility for the fire // A new design handbook making cities safer for women // Anthony Gormley slams plans to transform Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross // And a hidden message is discovered during the National Gallery’s contentious redevelopment

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This week Fran Williams is joined by Gino Spocchia, senior reporter at the Architects Journal.

‘Retrofit-first’ council approves five demolitions in one scheme // Foster + Partners rumoured to be designing Manchester United’s new stadium // China revives plans for a new London embassy after Labour’s election victory // And an ‘intimate’ biography of acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid is on the horizon

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This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by Tamsie Thomson, the chief executive of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

Far-right rioting leaves struggling high streets and communities further scarred // Angela Rayner announces ambitious planning reforms and a New Towns taskforce // A fire breaks out at Glasgow’s beloved Carlton Place // And the London Festival of Architecture announces a new competition to give a much-needed glow up to a gloomy Battersea underpass

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This week Sahiba is joined by journalist India Block, Deputy Editor of Homes and Property at the Evening Standard.

The RIBA Stirling Prize 2024: this year’s finalists revealed // Rachel Reeves scraps landmark infrastructure projects // Acclaimed architect Peter Barber’s visionary idea to make Britain self-sufficient // And a London pavement parking ban is proposed as the row over e-bikes escalates

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This week Fran is joined by architect and writer Nana Biamah-Ofosu, the director of YAA Projects: an architecture, design and research practice focused on making, speaking and writing architecture.

Six million people at risk from extreme heat in England, campaign group warns // 80% of potential first-time buyers can’t afford a deposit on a home in their area // Milton Keynes landmark The Point saved from ‘soulless’ redevelopment // KPF unwraps proposals to overhaul Foster’s HSBC tower in Canary Wharf

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For our 150th episode, Merlin is joined this week by Jas Bhalla, an Architect, Town Planner, Urban Designer and founder of Bermondsey-based Jas Bhalla Works.

Local authorities warn of urgent financial threat to council housing // UK’s largest housebuilder cuts output in blow to government targets // Lloyds bank to transform back offices into social housing // And the NIC and IPA are merged into a new infrastructural body: Nista

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This week Merlin Fulcher is joined by Akil Scafe-Smith, urban designer and co-founder of RESOLVE.

Labour bring back housing targets and lifts onshore wind ban // “Levelling up” is stripped from the housing department name and Matthew Pennycook is appointed as Housing Minister // Chris Williamson wins RIBA presidential election // And a contest is launched for the Grenfell tower memorial.

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This week Fran Williams is joined by Jan Kattein, architect, lecturer, author and founding director of Jan Kattein Architects. 

Labour vows major housing announcements ‘within a fortnight’ of winning the election // South London squatters take the emergency housing crisis into their own hands // The mega-bucks tutoring advert spotlighting inequalities within architectural education // And a Post-Modern Egyptian Revival-style home becomes the youngest building in the UK to be given listed status 

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This week Merlin is joined by Hilary Satchwell, architect, urban designer and director of Tibbalds, a South London-based planning and urban design firm.

Bold new plans to reimagine UK department stores as sustainable housing // Architects set out their vision to boost affordable housing after the election // Black cab restrictions look set to be controversially lifted at Bank Junction // And social-housing legend Kate Macintosh receives the AJ100 Contribution to the Profession award 

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This week Merlin is joined by Henrietta Billings, the Director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, a charity dedicated to securing the long-term future of Britain’s buildings.

86 historic buildings added to SAVE’s building at risk register // Labour’s manifesto commitments on housing watered down // Review into Glasgow School of Art fires ‘too costly’ says Scottish government // Campaign to save the Beatles’ birthplaces

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This week Merlin is joined by Jack Cornish, Jack is the author of a new book called The Lost Paths: A history of how we walk from there to here. He also holds the venerable title ‘head of paths’ at The Ramblers - Britain’s largest walking charity.

Labour moots community buy-outs of derelict land // A quarter of a million socially rented homes lost in England // Government facing legal bid over wildlife collapse // And Britain’s most expensive street bans cyclists and pedestrians

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This week Sahiba is joined by Hugh Pearman, an architectural writer and editor who is also chair of the 20th Century Society. 

Architects demand a new ministry of housing // C20 files for emergency spot listing of London’s City Hall // Cambridge discovers zero emission cement // And could King’s Cross and the Elizabeth Line be front runners for this year’s biggest prize in architecture? 

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This week Merlin's joined by Adam Peggs, a journalist and activist.

The surprise snap election being celebrated by architects // No Grenfell Tower criminal charges before 2026 // London’s Mayor pledges £100 million pounds to kickstart stalled housing // Liverpool Street station’s contentious redevelopment plans are sent back to the drawing board.

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This week Merlin's joined by John Elledge, a journalist and author of the new book “A History of the World in 47 Borders: The Stories Behind the Lines on Our Maps”.

Museum of London’s contentious demolition cleared for approval // Government minister accused of misleading ‘15-minute city’ claims // How an AI deep fake video conned an engineer out of £20 million pounds // And the new ‘anti-boring architecture’ masters course brought to you by Heatherwick Studio

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This week Merlin's joined by Alpa Depani, an architect and the head of strategic planning and design at the London borough of Waltham Forest.

Calls for new public ballots on all tall buildings above 60 metres // House building drops to its lowest level since the pandemic // Single-sex toilets to be required in all new public buildings in England // And Norman Foster calls on architects worldwide to help reconstruct Kharkiv

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This week Sahiba spoke to Charles Holland; the architect and author of the new book 'How to Enjoy Architecture: A Guide for Everyone'

// Labour vows to build on the ‘grey-belt’ and deliver 1.5 million homes // Birmingham set to refuse controversial tower above a listed hospital // Scottish architects condemn the ditching of climate targets // And how can we look beyond the day-to-day familiarity of buildings to truly enjoy architecture? //

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This week Merlin spoke to the architect, author and columnist Eleanor Jolliffe

// Sadiq Khan pledges to end rough sleeping in the capital // The Grenfell Inquiry’s final report delayed yet again // Gender pay gap widening among UK architectures biggest firms // And the AJ and SAVE launch a competition to rethink demolition plans for the M&S on Oxford Street //

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This week Merlin spoke to the Chief Executive of Camden Highline, Simon Pitkeathley

// Rent rises set to outpace wage growth for next three years // Outrage over King Charles’ ‘ideal town’ proposal in Kent // Contentious Barbican demolition plans tipped for approval // And the fascination with forbidden spaces; how Camden Highline is opening up a whole new part of London //

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In this episode Paul spoke to the landscape architect, urban designer and Director of Landscape and Placemaking at Peabody, Dr Phil Askew. Their discussion centered around the landscape-led regeneration of Thamesmead; the brutalist post-war townscape in south east London hailed as the ‘town of tomorrow’.

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This week Sahiba spoke to Amandeep Singh Kalra. Amandeep is the Associate Director of Be First, the regeneration arm of Barking and Dagenham council.

// Norwich City Council 'disappointed' after sell flagship homes lost to right to buy // The UK has the worst value housing of any advanced economy // Stirling Prize winner hits out at flaws in UK built environment procurement // And local heritage found to bring £29 billion pounds in economic benefits linked to wellbeing every year //

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This week Merlin speaks to the President of the RIBA, Muyiwa Oki.

// Council housing ratcheting up the political agenda ahead of big year of elections // How generative AI is transforming the work of architects and engineers // Heat pump rollout slammed for being too slow // And V&A’s director warns The Palace of Westminster is on the brink of catastophe //

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This week Merlin spoke to Simon Vickery, the Programme Manager of the Open House Festival.

// Spring budget criticised for failing to boost housing // A government report finds Lown Traffic Neighbourhoods are popular and effective // Grimshaw unveils major new redevelopment plans for Waterloo Station // And how simply partying more could help our struggling night time economy //

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In this episode Paul spoke to the co-founder of architects Studio Octopi and Future Lidos Group; Chris Romer-Lee. Chris is a outdoor swimming enthusiast and tidal pool advocate, and his practice was behind the ambitious Thames Bath proposals which first caught peoples attention nearly a decade ago.

In this episode they discuss the landscape of swimming, with a particular focus on tidal pools and the benefits they can bring to coastal ecosystems and communities.

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This week Merlin is joined by Tom Wilkinson. Tom is a writer and historian, and author of the new book ‘Emergency Money: Notgeld in the Image Economy of the German Inflation, 1914–1923'

// Competition probe into the UK’s biggest housebuilders // Heatherwick to turn BT Tower into a luxury hotel // Government redirects billions from HS2’s scrapped northern leg // And architects report the longest period of pessimism since 2009 //

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This week Producer Poppy spoke to Fran Williams - the architectural journalist and occasional host of The Brief - to discuss the big stories in housing, architecture, and planning news this week.

// Government warned London house building is grinding to a halt // A new benchmark for sustainable housing wins planning in East Sussex // Loss of Jewish East End heritage as landmark beigel shop closes its doors // And a 6 million pound rebrand for London's ‘Orange Line’

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This week Sahiba spoke to Rob Fiehn, the Director of the London Society

// RIBA president Muyiwa Oki slams Labour’s £28 billion pound green U-turn // Michael Gove approves controversial South Bank tower plans // The public toilet crisis isolating vulnerable people // And delivery riders stage a Valentine’s Day strike demanding fair wages //

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In this episode Paul spoke to the architect, curator and urbanist, Madeleine Kessler. Together they looked at waste water management in London, and investigated the value of holistic design-led approaches to major infrastructure projects.

You can find an online version of Landscape for free here

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This week Sahiba spoke to Pooja Agrawal. Pooja is an architect, chief executive of Public Practice, and a trustee of Open City.

// Housebuilders throw support behind Labour as Conservatives ‘bow to Nimbyism’ // Fresh plans submitted for London tower set to be joint-tallest in Europe // Channel 4 to sell iconic Richard Rogers-designed HQ amid job cuts // And the clifftop project dubbed Grand Designs’ ‘saddest ever’ home, goes back on the market //

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This week Merlin spoke to the architect and co-founder of the Stirling Prize-winning practice Haworth Tompkins, Graham Haworth.

// Calls for a Royal Commission into housing and health as 5,000 deaths caused by cold and damp homes // A new wave of multistorey industrial developments transforming urban skylines // South Korean architect Minsuk Cho picked for 2024 Serpentine pavilion //

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This week Merlin spoke to Siraaj Mitha, Head of Open City's Accelerate programme.

// Lesley Lokko wins RIBA Gold Medal // The state of Britain’s pavements forces many to stay at home // 2023 named hottest year ever recorded globally by a blistering margin // And the Elizabeth Line station which was nearly never built now faces acute overcrowding //

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On the show this week Merlin spoke to Des Fitzgerald. Des is a professor of medical humanities and social sciences, and author of the new book ‘The City of Today is a Dying Thing’

// Fresh divisions emerge in the debate over greenbelt development // Big oil bankrolls a major British Museum overhaul // Public buildings at risk amid a wave of local authority bankruptcies // And the record-breaking theft of Banksy’s newest P...

In this episode we investigated the importance of Sustainable Urban Drainage systems in building a greener future, with Sue Illman who guest edited this edition of Landscape which is dedicated to the evolving landscape of water.

Sue is a landscape architect and past president of the Landscape Institute. Her career has changed the landscape of water management this year was a recipient of an ‘Outstanding Contribution to SuDS’ award by CIRIA - the Construction Industry Research and Information Association.

You can find an online version of Landscape for free here

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Special episode of award-winning podcast series examining forest restoration.

Open City is delighted to present this special episode of Words on Wood, a fantastic podcast created by the American Hardwood Export Council in conjunction with Disegno journal exploring how the world’s forests can be restored.

We’ve been fans of Words on Wood for for some time. It’s a very well produced show combining interviews with some of the best brains in the timber industry with leading creative practitioners from carpenters to architects.

In this episode, titled A Trillion...

This week Merlin spoke to Rowan Moore - the architecture critic of The Observer and author of several books including ‘Property: The myth that built the world’

// UK rents up by more than a quarter since 2020 // MPs still deliberating over Parliament’s restoration // Stratford Sphere given one last chance by Michael Gove // And how the richest 1% account for more carbon emissions than poorest 66% //

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In this episode, Paul spoke to Karen Fitzsimon, Colleen D’Souza and Rajan Dewan. Karen is a chartered landscape architect, historian, and horticulturist. Colleen is Director and Head of Cracknell’s Integrated Horticulture Team. She has been instrumental in expanding the plant typologies used in the Middle East and North Africa regions of the last three decades, challenging local standards and adding ecological and resilience value. And Rajan – Group Design Director at Cracknell– is a specialist in water management and modern irrigation techniques, and has over 40 years’ experience in planning, design, construction detailing, management, construction resourcing and engineering design of hard & s...

Given the climate and biodiversity crises we currently face, there is an urgent need to make urban environments more sustainable. This walking tour has been produced to raise awareness of key issues, and to highlight ways that cities can be redesigned to prioritise sustainability principles. In line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, there is a particular focus on inclusivity, resilience, and sustainability.

Following this route through central London will encourage you to reflect on the significance of the places you are passing through. Learning through walking is a long established practice, and one that fits the...

This week Merlin spoke to Director of the C20 Society, Catherine Croft.

// Extreme weather labelled ‘greatest threat’ to UK built heritage // Concrete concerns back in the spotlight as Bristol tower block evacuated // Climate questions over Labour’s 1.5 million homes pledge // And the London Mayor refuses Sphere venue plans for Stratford //

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This week Phin spoke to Gareth Dennis, the railway engineer, writer, and sustainable transport advocate.

// Uncertainty rages over the future of HS2’s Euston terminus // Dramatic cabinet reshuffle brings sixth change of housing minister within a year // UK accused of violating international law over poverty levels // And WeWork’s bankruptcy calls into question the future of urban regeneration //

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In this episode, Paul spoke to Neil Manthorpe, and Kate Digney. Neil leads the Atkins London Landscape and Urban Design Studio, which has just won planning permission from the City of London Corporation to upgrade and introduce biodiversity gains to the second part of the high walkway which runs around the Barbican Centre and the Barbican Estate. Kate is Head of Landscape at Levitt Bernstein where she leads sustainable design across a range of projects. Recently, she has been masterplanning a park in North London, where she has been working closely with the local community to deliver a space w...

This week Merlin spoke to Matthew Lloyd Roberts -- the architectural historian, writer, and editor of the About Buildings podcast

// New images of Liverpool Street’s contentious redevelopment revealed // The debate over transforming London golf courses into housing heats up // Could the acclaimed Venice Biennale be about to fall victim to the culture wars? // And the large-scale peaceful protests being dubbed ‘hate marches’ by the government //

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