Building Sounds

As part of LFA2022 we're sharing five new stories, exploring the key people and projects shaping the Royal Docks. For our fifth episode, we explore The Factory Project and Community Food Enterprise, with Nick Hartwright and Eric Samuel MBE. Nick is the founder of Projekt. Projekt is an affordable work and event space developer, who currently operates 14 sites across London for cultural and creativ...

As part of LFA2022 we're sharing five new stories, exploring the key people and projects shaping the Royal Docks. For our fourth episode, we explore Tate & Lyle and the unexpected future of sugar in the Royal Docks, with Chris Abell, Alan Chandler and Armor Gutierrez Rivas. Chris is Head of Property and Local Affairs, Tate & Lyle Sugars. Alan is the Dean of Research at the University of Ea...

As part of LFA2022 we're sharing five new stories, exploring the key people and projects shaping the Royal Docks. For our third episode, we explore Kamal Chunchie Way and the act of renaming, with Sophie Hardcastle and Asif Shakoor. Sophie is Head of Engagement at Street Space. Street Space work with people to reimagine their streets & spaces to make them feel safer, bring joy & social con...

As part of LFA2022 we're sharing five new stories, exploring the key people and projects shaping the Royal Docks. For our second episode, we're exploring City Hall with Dan Bridge and Andrea Nolan. Dan is Programme Director for the Royal Docks Team, and leads the team for delivering the regeneration of the Royal Docks, the Mayor of London’s largest land-led regeneration project and a designated En...

As part of LFA2022 we're sharing five new stories, exploring the key people and projects shaping the Royal Docks. In our first episode, Marieta Borreda Cuenca gives us an introduction to the history of the Royal Docks. Marieta is a Sports and History presenter, journalist and content creator who has worked in Heritage projects for London’s Royal Docks, the Thames Festival, Newham's Heritage Month...

As part of LFA 2022, the LFA unveiled the winning installations for the second edition of Showroom Showcase. Now in its second year, this series of installations see a series of innovative paper installations, by emerging architects and designers, displayed in some of London’s leading design showrooms. In this episode we speak to the designers of the winning installations to hear the stories behin...

As part of LFA 2022, the LFA unveiled the winning benches for the third edition of Pews and Perches. The series of fives benches aims to improve London’s public realm, celebrate emerging architectural talent, and connect people with the buildings and spaces around them. In this episode we speak to the designers of the winning benches to hear the stories behind their designs. Produced and edited by...

Here East, w/David Bickle (Hawkins Brown) and Gavin Poole (Here East) In this episode we explore the birth of Here East, the process of transforming an Olympic and Press Centre into an innovation and technology campus, the ten year anniversary of the Olympic games and what the next ten years hold for the campus. Here East is situated in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. This episode was pr...

As part of LFA2021, The LFA, Cheapside Business Alliance and Aldgate Connect BID have unveiled the nine benches selected as the winners of the 2021 City Benches competition. Now in its fourth year, this series of nine temporary benches aims to brighten the streetscape across Cheapside and Aldgate, celebrate emerging architectural talent and connect people with the buildings and spaces around them....

As part of LFA2021, The LFA, Cheapside Business Alliance and Aldgate Connect BID have unveiled the nine benches selected as the winners of the 2021 City Benches competition. Now in its fourth year, this series of nine temporary benches aims to brighten the streetscape across Cheapside and Aldgate, celebrate emerging architectural talent and connect people with the buildings and spaces around them....

In this episode we discover the story and design of London Bridge Station, one of the oldest and busiest stations in London. We caught up with Nadia Broccardo, Chief Executive for Team London Bridge, and Mark Middleton, Group Managing Partner for Grimshaw Architects to understand more about this unique and fundamental building. Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor. Download the transcript here.

As part of LFA2020, the LFA and Royal Docks Team have unveiled five new benches across the Royal Docks as part of the Pews and Perches design competition. The competition, now in its second year, invited architecture and design students, recent graduates and emerging practitioners to deliver a playful new take on street furniture that can celebrate the Royal Docks and the communities at home in th...

As part of LFA2020, the LFA and Network Rail have unveiled a series of witty and challenging benches by emerging architects and designers at some of London’s largest railway stations. The series follows a design competition launched earlier this year and is the latest in our series of public installations that harness and celebrate emerging architectural and design talent, while improving London’s...

The Canary Wharf Jubilee Line Station, designed by Foster+Partners, was opened in 1999 and was fundamental in transforming the fortunes of Canary Wharf. It remains both the largest single-line station on the network, and perhaps the most architecturally spectacular. Gerard Evenden , Senior Executive Partner at Foster + Partners, led on the project for the practice in the 1990s. Here he tells us th...

LFA2020: The Tooley Street Triangle As part of LFA2020, The LFA and Team London Bridge have unveiled The Tooley Street Triangle – a new wayfinding beacon designed by Charles Holland Architects outside London Bridge Station. In this episode, Charles Holland talks us through the design and how it fits into the wider concept of wayfinding. Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor. Download the transcri...

Royal Docks: Pews and Perches In late 2019, the London Festival of Architecture ran a competition for emerging architects to design a bench, which could offer a fun and creative place to sit, rest and play along the Royal Docks waterfront. In this episode will are sharing some of the conversations we had with the designers of the winning benches. Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor.  

Royal Docks: Patera Building In this episode, we hear from Shaun Lees, Managing Director of Patera Engineering, who tells us about the Patera Building by Hopkins and Partners. Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor.

Royal Docks: Thames Barrier and KGV Flood Gate In this episode, we hear from Sam Nicholson and Laura Littleton, from the Environmental Agency, who tells us about the Thames Barrier and KGV Flood gate. Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor.

Royal Docks: Tidal Basin Pumping Station In this episode, we hear from Mike Davies, from RSH+P , who tell us about the Tidal Basin Pumping Station and how it fits into the wider Docks Master Plan.  Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor.

Royal Docks Impounding Station In this episode, we hear from Scott Derben, Managing Director of the Royal Docks Management Authority, who tells us about the Royal Docks Impounding Station, its past, present and future.  Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor.

Millennium Mills In this episode, we hear from Graham Stark from Lendlease, and James Santer from AHMM who tell us about the Millennium Mills Buildings, its past and its future.  Produced and edited by Eliza Grosvenor.

London’s Docklands were once our gateway to the world. Originally built between the 1850s and 1920s the Royal Docks fuelled our international trade and brought wealth to the country. But as ships grew bigger, much of this ocean-going trade moved to larger docks further East along the Thames, and air travel developed to the West at Heathrow. Whilst much of the transport infrastructure might have mo...

Welcome to Buildings Sounds – the architecture audio guide from the London Festival of Architecture The great joy of radio and podcasts is that you can do other stuff whilst your listening. The concept behind building sounds is simple, you enjoy a nice walk around an architecturally significant area whilst the architects who have designed or worked on the buildings tell you more about what you’re...