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Open City
Open City
263 episodes
6 days ago

Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable.


Providing you with essential listening, inspiring voices and built environment insights – the Open City Podcast covers news and current events as well as in depth studies of landmark buildings, and cities around the UK and world.


At the centre of our line-up is our flagship show The Brief – an award-winning review of the big stories in architecture, planning and housing news – hosted by Sahiba Chadha and Fran Williams on a fortnightly basis.


Alongside this is Deconstructed – a monthly podcast hosted by Matthew Lloyd Roberts taking apart the architecture of individual buildings and InterCities – a monthly podcast hosted by Owen Hatherley exploring municipal transformation around the world. 


All three shows profile new, expert and diverse voices from across industry, journalism, academia and beyond. The Open City Podcast is produced by Hunter Charlton and Paige Reynolds. The commissioning editor is Merlin Fulcher. 


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. 


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Photo credit: Owen Hatherley portrait © Antonio Olmos


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All content for Open City is the property of Open City and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable.


Providing you with essential listening, inspiring voices and built environment insights – the Open City Podcast covers news and current events as well as in depth studies of landmark buildings, and cities around the UK and world.


At the centre of our line-up is our flagship show The Brief – an award-winning review of the big stories in architecture, planning and housing news – hosted by Sahiba Chadha and Fran Williams on a fortnightly basis.


Alongside this is Deconstructed – a monthly podcast hosted by Matthew Lloyd Roberts taking apart the architecture of individual buildings and InterCities – a monthly podcast hosted by Owen Hatherley exploring municipal transformation around the world. 


All three shows profile new, expert and diverse voices from across industry, journalism, academia and beyond. The Open City Podcast is produced by Hunter Charlton and Paige Reynolds. The commissioning editor is Merlin Fulcher. 


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. 


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Photo credit: Owen Hatherley portrait © Antonio Olmos


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Society & Culture
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Design,
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Episodes (20/263)
Open City
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Rethinking Recruitment

In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a podcast which broadcasts the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our third debate of the year, “Rethinking Recruitment”, where we ask: just how transparent is the recruitment process in the field of architecture and design? Moderators Siraaj Mitha and Jasmin Yeo are joined by six guest speakers: Andrea Villate, Associate Architect who, at the time, was driving talent development and HR policies at architecture practice RCKa; Mat Barnes, architect and director of CAN, an architecture and design studio based in London; Accelerate-alumna and founder of the publication For African People Hani Ali; Nikki Linsell, who was working at the time as Chief Operating Officer at Public Practice; Neil Onions, Creative Strategist, Cultural Leader, and the Founding Director of Beyond the Box CIC and Sana Tabassum, Creative Director of to scale and multi-disciplinary designer. 


Hosts: Siraaj Mitha and Jasmin Yeo

Music: Massive Music


This episode includes conversations about problematic practice in recruitment processes that some listeners may find challenging. If you’ve been affected by the issues discussed, please find support through the organisations below:


* Samaritans – 116 123 (free, 24 hours a day) – samaritans.org 

* Mind (mental health support) – mind.org.uk


Further reading:


 - Open City Accelerate Alumni

 - RIBA Future Architects

 - Section of Architectural Workers (SAW)

 - Future of London Emerging Talent Programme

 - Future Architects Front (FAF)

 - Beyond the Box 

- To Scale

- The London Practice Forum

- CAN instagram

- Public Practice


The podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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6 days ago
55 minutes 2 seconds

Open City
RIBA vs ARB, Nnena Kalu's Turner Prize win and data centre design

This week on The Brief Merlin Fulcher is joined by curator of Digital Design at the V&A Natalie Kane to discuss:


The president of the Royal Institute of British Architects tears up his accreditation in a bid for greater protection // Nnena Kalu wins the 2025 Turner Prize in a breakthrough for neurodiverse artists // London architecture grandee Peter Murray announces a mayoral bid // And finally, amid a surge in new data centres could now be the time for a design rebrand?


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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2 weeks ago
30 minutes 48 seconds

Open City
Deconstructed: Matilda House - Co-operative Council Housing

Deconstructed. Matilda House - Co-operative Council Housing. In this episode, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Dr Holly Smith to discuss Matilda House, the home of a radical experiment in co-operative housing which was welcomed by politicians of all stripes as a solution to the crises of the late 1970s. Matilda House is one of several projects discussed in Smith's new book, 'Up in the Air: A History of High-Rise Britain', which we also discuss.


Archive photos: © Stephen and Matilda Tenants’ Cooperative © Paul Barbara © Barbara Philips


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 weeks ago
27 minutes 29 seconds

Open City
Rough sleeping surges to post pandemic-high

This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by the writer and activist, Adam Peggs to discuss:


Rough sleeping surges to post pandemic-high // Government housebuilding forecast downgraded // New measures to ease planning for homes near transport hubs // And an alternative vision to save Liverpool Street Station’s vaulted glass concourse roof from being lost to redevelopment


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 month ago
28 minutes 47 seconds

Open City
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Constructive Criticism

In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a new podcast from Open City, broadcasting the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our second debate of the year, “Constructive Criticism”, where we ask: where do we draw the line between constructive and destructive criticism in the field of architecture? Moderator Siraaj Mitha is joined by five guest speakers: Shumi Bose, Senior Lecturer in Architecture at Central Saint Martins; Alberto Villanueva who is Associate Professor and Programme Director at Ravensbourne University; Accelerate-alumna and graduate sustainable design consultant at Savills Aretha Ahunanya; Jenny Russell, Director of Education and Learning at the RIBA and Neil Pinder, honorary professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture and head of product design and architecture at Graveney School in South London.


Host: Siraaj Mitha

Music: Massive Music

Image credit: Luke O'Donovan


This episode includes conversations about problematic practice in architectural education as well as discussions of mental health challenges. If you’ve been affected by the issues discussed, please find support through the organisations below:


* Samaritans – 116 123 (free, 24 hours a day) – samaritans.org 

* Mind (mental health support) – mind.org.uk


Further reading:


  • Festival of the Future 2025
  • Festival of the Future in the AJ
  • Student Minds
  • Youth Endowment Fund
  • Architecture Social


The podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 month ago
50 minutes 52 seconds

Open City
AI nimbyism threatens to upend UK planning

This week on The Brief Sahiba Chadha is joined by the architect and co-founder of We Made That, Holly Lewis, to discuss:


AI nimbyism threatens to upend UK planning // Highstreet developer goes into liquidation // VAT imbalances found to be incentivising demolition // And a furore over plans to install uPVC windows on Peter Barber’s award-winning housing in Bow


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 month ago
30 minutes 8 seconds

Open City
Deconstructed: The Old Justice - Multiculturalism and the Public House

In this episode of Deconstructed, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Alfred Yatlong Yeung to discuss British multiculturalism through the lens of The Old Justice in South Bermondsey, a South Korean styled public house that was built by Sidney C Clark in 1933.


If you’ve enjoyed this series about the London County Council, check out @LCC_Legacy on Instagram. (

https://www.instagram.com/lcc_legacy)


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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1 month ago
28 minutes 57 seconds

Open City
A new House of Commons report on child-centred design, financial strain for UK architectural firms and bold changes to the London Plan

In this episode, technical editor and deputy architecture editor of the Architects’ Journal Fran Williams is joined by Dinah Bornat, an architect and co-founder of ZCD Architects. She’s also the author of All to Play For: How to design child-friendly housing, published by the RIBA in February this year. Together they discuss:


A new House of Commons report demands a greater role for children in urban design // UK architectural businesses face growing financial strain // London’s affordable housing ratio slips amid a watering down of development guidelines // And the architects picked for the long-awaited pedestrianisation of Oxford Street are revealed


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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2 months ago
29 minutes 38 seconds

Open City
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Designing a Safer City

In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a new podcast from Open City, broadcasting the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our first debate of the year, “Designing A Safer City”, asking: what does safety in the public realm really mean? Moderators Siraaj Mitha and Jasmin Yeo are joined by five guest speakers: Gaia Crocella, senior researcher at Publica; Accelerate alumna Bhavni Ghedia; Ciaran Thapar, from the Youth Endowment Fund; artist Hanna Benihoud; and Dr David Knight, founding co-director of dk-cm.


Hosts: Manijeh Verghese and Siraaj Mitha

Music: Massive Music


This episode includes discussions of adult themes, including personal safety and abuse, which some listeners may find distressing. If you’ve been affected by the issues discussed, please find support through the organisations below:


* Samaritans – 116 123 (free, 24 hours a day) – samaritans.org 

* Refuge (for women and children experiencing domestic abuse) – refuge.org.uk

* Rape Crisis England & Wales – rapecrisis.org.uk

* Men’s Advice Line (for male victims of domestic abuse) – mensadviceline.org.uk

* Mind (mental health support) – mind.org.uk


Further reading:


  • Safety in Public Space: Women, Girls and Gender Diverse People
  • Hanna Benihoud: Girls of the Light
  • Cut Short
  • Women’s Safety Report
  • Expanding London’s Public Realm
  • Inclusive Safety Toolkit


The podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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2 months ago
51 minutes 35 seconds

Open City
Appleby Blue wins the 2025 Stirling Prize and set back for UK cooling towers

This week on The Brief, Sahiba Chadha is joined by the BBC broadcaster, writer and journalist Samira Ahmed to discuss the biggest stories in architecture, conservation planning news:


A 21st century almshouse in Southwark wins the Stirling Prize // How Labour ministers are consistently rejecting Historic England’s listing advice // A bid to save Nottinghamshire’s landmark cooling towers flounders // And a competition to rethink the Denys Lasdun-designed Ziggurats at the University of East Anglia


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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2 months ago
30 minutes 22 seconds

Open City
Deconstructed: Plumstead Common – Policing and Leisure in a Municipal Park

In this episode, the finale in a trilogy to mark 60 years since the end of the London County Council, Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Dr Rosamund Lily West, Lecturer in Architectural Studies at the University of Manchester. They discussed Plumstead Common, a municipal park in South East London, the site of riots over access to green space by the organised working class communities of Woolwich and one of the first public parks adopted by the newly created London County Council. They explored the complex history of late-Victorian urban parks, the hierarchies of their administration and the policing of their use.


If you’ve enjoyed this series about the London County Council, check out @LCC_Legacy on Instagram. (

https://www.instagram.com/lcc_legacy)


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
31 minutes 43 seconds

Open City
New Towns, High Streets, Terry Farrell and 'The House of Architecture'

In this episode, host Fran Williams is joined by Jos Boys, a disability design activist who co-founded Matrix Feminist Design Co-operative and is co-director of The DisOrdinary Architecture Project. Together they discuss:


The government reveals the sites for its first new towns // A £5 billion pound fund is launched to revive ‘overlooked’ communities // The Royal Institute of British Architects inaugurates its new president // And we remember a pioneer in postmodern architecture – Terry Farrell


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
30 minutes 7 seconds

Open City
The future of new towns, record-breaking revenue at Foster + Partners and a new tax on SUVs?

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by Dr Jane Hall, architectural historian and founding member of the Turner Prize-winning collective Assemble. Together they discuss:


Lords call for stronger leadership for the government’s new towns // The UK’s largest architecture firm reports record-breaking turnover amid a surge in global projects // Campaigners against the old Museum of London’s demolition win the right to appeal // And they are the biggest cars on the road… could a new tax on sports utility vehicles raise £2 billion for the UK?


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
30 minutes 3 seconds

Open City
A new housing secretary, the RIBA prize shortlist and the UK's first "super-university"

In this episode, host Sahiba Chadha is joined by architecture and design writer and features editor at STIR. Anmol Ahuja. Together they discuss:


Can the new housing secretary deliver on the government’s 1.5 million homes pledge? // The shortlist for this year’s RIBA Stirling Prize is revealed // Greenwich and Kent merger to create the UK’s first ‘super-university’ // And a Finnish architect wins the contest for a Helsinki site which has been the focus of thousands of competing designs


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
30 minutes 39 seconds

Open City
Deconstructed: Carlton Cinema — Islington at the Pictures

In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Nigel Smith, who runs ‘Memory Palaces’, a website and programme of walking tours to explore the history of London’s cinemas. They discussed the Carlton Cinema on Essex Road, Islington, which first opened to the public in a grand ceremony in 1930, and represents the changing fashions and fate for cinema-going throughout the 20th-century.


Nigel will be giving walking tours of London cinemas over the coming months, including the Carlton. For more information, check out his website:

https://memorypalaces.co.uk/walks/former-carlton-cinema/


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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3 months ago
32 minutes 43 seconds

Open City
UK House Prices Fall, Open House Festival 2025 & Trump's 'Make America Beautiful Again' Campaign

In this episode, host Fran Williams is joined by Open House Festival Director Celia Mead. Celia is a management consultant who has run major organisations and cultural heritage festivals to discuss:


Less than ten days until Open House Festival 2025 // Environmental concerns over plans to redevelop Liverpool Street Station // An unexpected fall in UK house prices // And Donald Trump’s campaign to ‘Make Federal Architecture Beautiful Again’


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
4 months ago
30 minutes 32 seconds

Open City
Buzzwords: Care with Jasmina Cibic



Buzzwords is a new pilot podcast from Open City, produced in collaboration with the arts and culture podcast EMPIRE LINES. The podcast unpacks words and phrases often overused in the fields of art and architecture. Produced by curator, writer, and researcher Jelena Sofronijevic, each episode invites artists, curators, architects, and academics to consider what we really mean when we use terms like “sustainable” or “decolonised.”


In this episode, Jelena speaks with artist Jasmina Cibic about the idea of “care thinking” and what it means to be both care-ful and care-less in the practice, performance, and preservation of art and cultural artefacts. Their conversation ranges from Cibic’s current exhibition The Gift Ecology at Void Art Centre in Derry, to her representation of Slovenia at the 55th Venice Biennale, exploring how care shapes her work and what we might learn from it.


The theme music is “Devotion” by Jim Hall from the Free Music Archive, licensed under a Attribution 4.0 International License.


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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4 months ago
29 minutes 3 seconds

Open City
Dangerously hot homes, the Oxford Street redesign and the UK's first Museum of Brutalist Architecture

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the Head of Climate Action and Public Health at Love Design Studio and Shade the UK, Polly Turton. Together, they discuss the biggest stories this week in architecture and planning news:


Warnings over dangerously hot UK homes amid a fourth heatwave this year // The search begins for design teams to upgrade Oxford Street // Brick Lane regeneration plans symbolically rejected // And how a North London school hall could become the UK’s first Museum of Brutalist Architecture


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Show more...
4 months ago
30 minutes 28 seconds

Open City
Deconstructed: London County Hall – A Palace for Municipal Government

In this episode, the second of a trilogy to mark 60 years since the end of the London County Council, Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Dr Ruth Lang. They discussed London County Hall, the purpose-built home of the London County Council which sits on the south bank of the Thames at Westminster. It was designed by Ralph Knott and built from 1911–1939 and was the home of London’s Municipal government until the abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986.


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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5 months ago
30 minutes 19 seconds

Open City
Kew's Carbon Garden, Selkirk's Brutalist Gem & Relief for Bexhill's De La Warr Pavillion

In this episode, host Merlin Fulcher is joined by the architecture journalist and co-host of The Brief Fran Williams. Together, they discuss the biggest stories this week in architecture and planning news:


Kew Gardens opens a brand new carbon garden and pavilion // Conservation groups unite to rescue a Brutalist gem in the Scottish borders // Restoration plans for Bexhill’s De La Warr Pavilion revealed // And an opportunity for built environment exhibits inside one of London’s greatest postmodern landmarks


Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage.


The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate.


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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5 months ago
29 minutes 56 seconds

Open City

Open City is a charity dedicated to making architecture and built heritage more open, accessible and equitable.


Providing you with essential listening, inspiring voices and built environment insights – the Open City Podcast covers news and current events as well as in depth studies of landmark buildings, and cities around the UK and world.


At the centre of our line-up is our flagship show The Brief – an award-winning review of the big stories in architecture, planning and housing news – hosted by Sahiba Chadha and Fran Williams on a fortnightly basis.


Alongside this is Deconstructed – a monthly podcast hosted by Matthew Lloyd Roberts taking apart the architecture of individual buildings and InterCities – a monthly podcast hosted by Owen Hatherley exploring municipal transformation around the world. 


All three shows profile new, expert and diverse voices from across industry, journalism, academia and beyond. The Open City Podcast is produced by Hunter Charlton and Paige Reynolds. The commissioning editor is Merlin Fulcher. 


The Open City Podcast is supported by Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture platform and produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. 


To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend.


Photo credit: Owen Hatherley portrait © Antonio Olmos


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.