Thursday 3 February 2022

Open City's London

Limehouse, London's Original Chinatown

Happy Lunar New Year! This month’s Pocket London guide written by Siufan Adey and Amanda Maud takes us to Limehouse. Here, we discover the site of London’s original Chinatown, which was the centre of Chinese life in the city from the mid-1800s (with the arrival of Chinese sailors due to developing trade) until the 1960s (when post-war slum clearance and the popularity of Chinese cuisine precipitated a move to Soho). This route takes a forensic look at the area, drawing together an incomplete picture of London's Lost Chinatown from literary references, curious relics and hidden stories.

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TOURS
 
Our tours run rain or shine, and are a fantastic way to explore the city under the tutelage of one of our expert guides.

Any tours related questions can be directed to tours@open-city.org.uk
Architecture by night: City of London photography tour

Tuesday 1st March 6.30pm

Join Open City for a socially-distanced photography tour and discover how to photograph the City of London at night. Led by acclaimed architectural photographer Grant Smith — member of world-famous architecture imaging agency VIEW — this evening tour will look at how to photograph the City’s iconic structures after dark.

Po-mo in the City of London walking tour

Saturday 12th March 10.30am

Join Open House for a socially distanced walking tour from Broadgate to Bank. Led by acclaimed architectural historian Jon Wright, this tour chronicles how the stark and sometimes heroic forces of 1960s modernism were superseded by a more contextual architecture in the 1970s before the hi-tech and postmodern (po-mo) styles took over as the de-facto forces in commercial architecture in the 1980s and 90s.

Southbank: the architecture of reuse walking tour

This walking tour tells the story of several landmark buildings along the south side of the River Thames that have been imaginatively repurposed as part of the area’s radical transformation from an industrial waterfront to a cultural and recreational district. Exploring London’s most popular and dramatic waterfront, the tour discusses how new approaches to regeneration in the late 20th century prioritised adaptation over starting anew.

The London Public Health Walking Tour

Saturday 5th March 10am

How have public health challenges shaped London’s built environment through the ages? With a special focus on water and sanitation, writer and architectural designer Eleanor Marshall chronicles the many public health crises throughout London’s history and reveals how bold reformers, architects and public bodies radically changed our urban environment in response.

Elephant and Castle Walking Tour

Saturday 19 March 10.30am 

This walking tour explores the past, present and future of this extraordinary central London hub which was once known as the ‘Piccadilly Circus of South London’ but has at times since been controversially used as a symbol of urban decay and failed planning. Led by Golden Key graduate Joseph Granata the tour reveals a fascinating, vibrant neighbourhood with a rich history and a promising future.

EVENTS
LAST CHANCE TO APPLY!
 
The Baylight Fellowship applications deadline is this Friday 4 February at Midday.

From the Academy of British Housing, this experiential learning programme provides this generation’s most ambitious commissioners of new housing with the insight, knowledge and inspiration required to deliver outstanding homes and unlock sustainable future value. VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION
 

LAST CHANCE FOR TICKETS!

Accelerate Debates: Reload the Canon

Open City is launching a bombastic new debate series of public events focused on topics pertinent to the evolving practice of city-making. For the first debate of 2022, a star-studded panel of speakers including Ellis Woodman (Director of the Architecture Foundation), Farshid Moussavi (acclaimed international architect) and Jane Hall (co-founder of Turner prize-winners, Assemble), will each outline one practitioner they believe is essential, brilliant and useful enough that everyone should know their name and work. No more hand-wringing over whether the canon needs a refresh, on 2 February 2022, we’ll decide once and for all who’s in and who’s out!

Wednesday 2 February 7pm - 9pm at Rich Mix. Tickets: Standard: £12, Concessions: £8