As part of the London Festival of Architecture, Urban Radicals have designed ‘Street Assemblies for the Square Mile’, four architectural interventions in collaboration with the City of London Business Improvement Districts (BIDs, made up of PUBLIC ASSEMBLY, ROUNDTABLE, SPEAKERS’ PLINTHS and VOICING POD, that will continue to host an array of events and activities well into July.
These Street Assemblies located across the City have transformed the urban landscape. They are more than mere installations; they serve as vibrant platforms for performances, debates, film screenings, podcast recordings, and more. This ongoing engagement underscores the Festival’s mission to foster public dialogue about architecture, explore innovative ideas, and highlight emerging talents.
The collaboration between the London Festival of Architecture and the City of London BIDs, including Aldgate Connect, Culture Mile, EC BID, and Fleet Street Quarter, has been pivotal. This partnership has not only expanded the reach of architectural discussions—engaging over a million people this year —but also tested and showcased creative solutions to urban challenges.
Marking its 20th anniversary with the theme ‘Reimagine’, the London Festival of Architecture continues to transform the city’s public spaces. The Street Assemblies project embodies this year’s theme by reimagining civic assembly in accessible and engaging ways, inviting Londoners to participate actively in shaping their city.
The impact of the London Festival of Architecture extends beyond its official duration. The installations and their associated events, running through July, exemplify the Festival’s long-term vision. By temporarily transforming public spaces, these initiatives pave the way for enduring positive change in communities across London. Join us in the City of London to experience the ongoing vibrancy of the ‘Street Assemblies’. Whether it’s a performance, a debate, or an interactive event, there’s still plenty to engage with and be inspired by this July.
Era Savvides and Nasios Varnavas of Urban Radicals said:
The brief called for a response to an ever-changing city; how do your designs speak to a constantly evolving City? “Street Assemblies proposes architectures which bring public programme into our streets, subverting previous notions of buildings behind walls whilst re-imagining horizontal and accessible public infrastructures. Our designs are therefore of a smaller, more relatable scale, to contrast large buildings/ institutions, looking back into the notion of the public square. We believe this more intimate scale and open-ended, flexible and plug-in architecture, enables conversations which are fairer and open to all.”
What have been some of your favourite performances/recordings/reactions to the installations? Have you learnt anything new from seeing the interactions? “All of our events have been free and open to all. We felt that proposing such work and architecture which spatially stems from the street has enabled dialogue with people who we never expected to meet – we even had two members of the House of Commons visit and participate in one of the talks, “Pop Ups and Parliaments” presented by Samantha Hardingham, which took place at our Assembly.”
Given the experience you’ve had this year, how would you reimagine London for 2025 and beyond? “London could allow others, the curious, to bring more life into its streets, and even revisit its past which is full of strange, weird, beautiful and eccentric ideas and stories which have and continue to shape its future.”
