History of LFA
2004-The London Festival of Architecture started out in 2004 as the London Architecture Biennale-Clerkenwell area. 15000 people turned out for the opening event -St John Street when a herd of long horn cows were driven down to Smithfield market to recreate the movement of livestock that occurred there until the 17th century
2006-Events were held along a route linking Borough, south of the River Thames, with Kings Cross in the north. The theme-highlighted the impact of the construction of the new bridge on the economy and the planning of the area around Bankside and St Paul’s cathedral. This included a range of exhibitions, open studios, walks, tours and bicycle rides.
2008-Actvities across five key areas or ‘Hubs’, with largescale public events taking place in a different Hub each weekend. Each of the Hubs covered an area with a very different character - historic, present and future – and full of different institutions and activities. Typical past activities include exhibitions, lectures, walks, talks, bike rides, installations, temporary structures and tours of historic buildings. Events range from exhibitions of work by architects from around the world, to local visits to buildings of architectural interest.
2010-The Architecture Foundation was proud to deliver the London Festival of Architecture 2010 in partnership with RIBA London and New London Architecture. The Festival, running from 19 June to 4 July, was a city-wide celebration of architecture in the capital. As London gears up for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games the Festival looked at ways that planners, architects, clients and local communities play their part in the development of 'The Welcoming City'. LFA2010 had three weekends over which visitors were encouraged to explore three key areas of London, namely; the Nash Ramblas, Bankside Urban Forest and High Street 2012.

LFA 2012

Curated by RIBA London, the Architecture Foundation, New London Architecture and the British Council, LFA2012 will take place over three weekends across three London hubs:
  • City and Southwark (23rd /24th June)
  • Fitzrovia and Bloomsbury (30th June /1st July)
  • Kings Cross and Hoxton and Royal Docks (7th/8th July)
The theme for LFA 2012 will be ‘The Playful City’, proposing ways in which both Londoners and visitors can be active participants in the city. From reinterpreting familiar places through new installations and animations, redesigning public spaces to encourage physical fitness in the spirit of the Olympic Games, to testing interactive forms of consultation and planning for future urban development, festival participants will be encouraged to play in, and play with, the city around them.
Oikos is ancient Greek for house and the root word of economy and ecology. Embracing these principles, An exciting theatre project was embarked upon, combining a unique mix of public-made art, architecture and performance that explored how a new sustainable society could flourish in a world altered by climate change.
A Southwark playground was built in the heart of London, where award-winning Berlin-based architects Köbberling and Kaltwasser worked alongside volunteers to create The Jellyfish Theatre, the UK’s first fully-functioning theatre made entirely from recycled and reclaimed materials (see below).
Focussing on energy-efficiency, co-operation and human-scale construction, The Jellyfish was open to the public as an exhibition space.
With climate change already impacting on our lives, The Red Room commissioned leading playwrights, Kay Adshead and Simon Wu, to examine ways our society may adapt for survival in two urgent and inspiring plays written specially to be performed in this unique venue.
Materials for this project were provided by Diamond Waste – and the option of using them is open to us.
The following is a list of materials actually used in 2010: Timber, windows, doors, nails, screws, bolts, recycled chairs, benches, stand seats from football stadia, roof material, tarpaulin, metal beams and skips.