THE LONDON FESTIVAL of Architecture kicks off this weekend, complete with the catchphrase Fresh!, which is there to convey an emphasis on new thinking.


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As well as Fresh!, the other word to keep in mind is Five, as they’re organising the event mainly over five weekends and there will be five main hubs of activity, including the South Bank, two large east London areas, one in west London and the other in the north-central zone.

The idea is that a major event will take place at each hub each weekend. Another way of saying all that is that there will be walks, talks, exhibitions, organised bike rides, performances, boat trips and festive street shows all over the shop for the next month or so.

“With the Olympics on the horizon, the Festival celebrates London as a creative hub, a focus for international debate and as a city transformed,” said Peter Murray, the LFA Director

Examples of fresh ideas for London include designs for a new Elephant and Castle, the original footprint of the 1851 Crystal Palace in Hyde Park and a working beehive in the shape of the Royal Festival Hall plonked on top of the real thing.

The international dimension mentioned by Murray includes exhibits from the Czech Republic, Chile and Canada, to cover just one letter of the alphabet. Canada’s entry is part of the 28-strong Embassies Project, and features architecture from Vancouver, a city often rated as the world’s most beautiful.

Our picture shows Canada House and the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, partially wrapped in wood sourced in British Columbia.

The London Festival of Architecture runs from 20 June to 20 July.

More info here