The LFA and Architecture LGBT+ have launched a design competition for a ‘Pride Pop Up’ in the gardens of St Anne’s Church in Soho, to coincide with Pride in London in September. The pop up is being organised with official partners Westminster Council, the RIBA, St Anne’s Church and Soho Live Festival.
Architecture students, recent graduates, emerging practices as well as representatives from more established practices across London are invited to submit a design proposal for a pop up to represent LGBT+ architects and their contribution to architecture past and present. The pop-up installation will celebrate and demonstrate diversity and pride, while also showcasing the role design can play within our public realm. For the winning team, this is an opportunity to participate in a unique project, showcase design talent to a huge public audience, and support efforts to promote equality and diversity across the built environment professions.
The winning team will be confirmed in early August and awarded £10,000 to deliver the pop up. As well as being in place for Pride in London, the pop up will also feature as part of the Inside Out Soho festival and Soho Live festival.
The Pride Pop Up is the latest in a series of collaborations between the London Festival of Architecture, Architecture LGBT+ and their partners. In July 2018 they built upon their annual Pride Breakfast hosted at the RIBA by launching the inaugural Architecture LGBT+ float competition for Pride in London, which was won by Hawkins\Brown. The 2019 edition by Raw Architecture debuted at Pride in London before being part of London and Manchester Prides.
Interested applicants are invited to submit their proposal by midday on Monday 9 August 2021.
The competition entries will be judged by a panel including:
- Rosa Rogina (programme director, London Festival of Architecture)
- Anne Cosentino (equality, diversity and inclusion manager, RIBA)
- Tom Guy (Architecture LGBT+)
- Rob Wilson (architecture editor, The Architects’ Journal)
- Westminster Council rep tbc
- The Revd Simon Buckley (rector, St Anne’s Church, Soho)
- Soho Live festival rep tbc
Rosa Rogina, director of programme at the London Festival of Architecture, said:
“We’re so excited to be working once again with Architecture LGBT+ on the Pride Pop Up. Pride in London is such an important opportunity for us all to promote the diversity of London’s architectural community and the talent of LGBT+ architects across the capital. I’m sure we’ll get some fantastic entries and I’m already looking to seeing the Pride Pop Up in place for Pride in London in September.”
Tom Guy, partner at Guy Piper Architects and founder, Architecture LGBT+ said:
“The Pride Pop Up is an exciting project to celebrate LGBT+ architects in the heart of Soho during Pride in London and other major public events in September. We’re extremely grateful to Westminster Council and St Anne’s Church for providing such an amazing site, and to all our partners for once again offering entrants an amazing opportunity to make their mark and celebrate the diversity of our profession.”
The Pride Pop Up is made possible thanks to Architecture LGBT’s network of sponsors across the architecture industry: Platinum sponsor Foster + Partners; Gold sponsors PLP Architecture and HOK; Silver sponsors Jamie Fobert Architects, Stanton Williams, Make, AHMM, Pollard Thomas Edwards and Hawkins\Brown; and Bronze sponsors Feix & Merlin, Project Orange, New Practice.
[THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED]
