The London Open City exhibition at Somerset House in spring 2008 was designed to promote radical new ways of thinking about the capital, and how to unlock the potential of London's public spaces and streets.

 

London is known for iconic buildings such as the Palace of Westminster, St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London, but the capital is more than the sum of its parts. London is a city of unexpected juxtapositions, a patchwork of different neighbourhoods, each with its own identity, and each with its own character of public space.

 

The exhibition looked at how connections between different places could be improved; how physical and psychological barriers to movement could be overcome; how a better balance could be achieved between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians; and how parks could become vibrant and vital.

 

Design for London collaborated with artists, writers and photographers in preparation for the exhibition, to explore different ways of seeing the city and different perceptions of beauty in London's public realm.

 

The exhibition was accompanied by a series of talks and events, sponsored by Exemplar Properties, to encourage widespread discussion about the future of London's public realm.

 

Each talk focused on the part public space could play in defining, uniting and energising cities, using examples from London and overseas. Contributors included: Richard Rogers, Pasqual Maragall, Jaime Lerner, and Majora Carter.

 

The Exemplar walks were intended to provide a fresh perspective on the spaces explored relating to the individual’s practice. Contributors included: Torange Khonsari, Lottie Child, and Ruth Padel

 

Somerset House also organised two free family workshops to animate themes explored in London Open City for young people.

 

The London Open City exhibition at Somerset House received over 13,000 visitors. It has since traveled to Bucharest for the 2008 Bucharest Architecture Biennial.

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