Architectural Dialogue is here for architects, engineers, urban designers and planners, developers and others in the construction industry . . . as well as those who are simply enthusiastic about contemporary architecture.
We offer a dialogue about London from the inside and have been hosting London tours since 1996.
Groups vary in size from1 to 60, (occasionally more, but we quote fees on the basis of up to 25 people). These people come from all around the world.
We try to customise every itinerary to the group we are hosting – whether its interest is simply what is generally happening, or is very specific.
Architectural Dialogue offers you half-day and full-day tours, in multiples, as you prefer. It's that simple.
Most tours will be different, depending on where you stay, how many are in the group, how long you are here and, of course, what your interests are – which could include meeting with other professionals who share similar interests.
Or, you might want to select from a range of standard tours.
The one thing you can be sure of is our enthusiasm for architecture.
We don't arrange flights for you, but once you get here we can arrange coaches, people-carriers, taxis or (proabbaly the best way to experience London) advise you on using public transport. We can suggest hotels (although we have no specific links and ask you to make your own enquiries) and advise on the best areas to locate yourselves.
Make an enquiry and we'll see what can be set up for you.
Before hitting London's streets you might appreciate an illustrated introductory talk from Ken Allinson, author of the 6th edition of London's Contemporary Architecture (2014) and The Architects of London (2009).
The talk will introduce you to what is going on in London now, and provide a contextural background to recent development projects.
Talks will be given at the offices of Open-City (founders of the Open House London project), near to St Katharine's Dock.
The following group tours are available as half-day or full day events. They are an easy way to enliven your visit to London and see a notable selection of what is going on.
Half-day tours begin at 9.30am and 1.30pm.They will last approximately 3.5 hours.
Full day tours also begin at 9.30am. They will last until approximately 4.30pm.
Note that tours will vary in content as London continues to change.
Note: at this time (Xmas 2014) these tour offers are under construction.
We're looking forward to spring!
The Kings Cross Area
Among London's largest and most acclaimed renewal projects is the redevelopment of the Kings Cross area (claimed to be the largest in Europe). It has been some thirty years in coming, but in the last few years has come together at a remarkable speed.
Architects working here include: Chipperfield, A&M, Craig Downie, Stanton Williams, Bennetts, dRMM, John McAslan, Glenn Howels, Maccreanor & Lavington, Nial McLaughlin and others.
A good example of new housing at Kings Cross include this Arthouse project by dRMM, who have achieved quite a status among both architects and developers.
Our tour explains what is going on and why it is significant. And we include the surrounding fringe areas that make this development interesting as well as impressive.
The City of London and Fringes
The City of London (or Square MIle) is London's historic core and nowmits financial district.
It is also a fascinating mix of history and modernity that is constantly changing and yet strangely remaining much the same.
Our tours in and around the City will bring it alive for you, helping you to experience just how vibrant the whole area is.
Below: looking south from the Gherkin. In the foreground, Foster's Willis building; Rogers' Lloyd's 86 building. In the centre: Vinoly's 'Walkie-Talkie' (or, Walkie-Scorchie'). In the background: Renzo Piano Workshop's Shard.
London's West-End
The West End's history begins in 1066 in the marshy area that is now the governmental area adjacent to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.
As a series of districts it's heartland comprises Covent Garden, Soho, Fitzrovia, Marylebone Mayfair and, of course, the government and royal district that spreads westward from Westminster Bridge to Victoria and Hyde Park.
Each of these areas has a distinct character. And in each you will find distinctive architecture – old, yes, but also much that is recent and new.
Notable Architects in London
London's most famous contemporary architects are Richard Rogers and Norman Foster.
Interestingly, the metropolis exhibits has works from a number of foreign architects.
Herzog & de Meuron are now doing their third building (an extension for the Tate Modern, soon to be complete) and have another one lined up (an apartment building at Canary Wharf); the Renzo Piano Workshop has twobuildings (Central St Giles and the Shard); Jean Nouvel has one (One new Change); Rafael Vinoly has one( the Walkie-Talkie, in Fenchurch Street).
Meanwhile the Americans who arrived in the mid-1980s are still here: SOM, Pelli (with a new buildingin the rapidly changing Victoria Street area), KP, David Walker and Swanke Hayden, for example.
The Stratford Olympic site
(A half-day tour) Welcome to Stratford, former home of the 2012 Olympic Games and now well into realising its Games 'legacy'. The Olympic Stadium is receiving a new roof, hadid's swimming pool is accessible, as is Hopkins' Velodrome. And surprisingly, the landscaping of the park is already very good.
Or perhaps you will find the surrounding London context equally interesting. This includes the Fish Island andthe canal and river that goes all the way to Limehouse, as well as the Westfield shopping Mall (gateway into the Olympics, as when you go to an airport!).
This image gives you an idea of what the Park will be like in the future:
New London Housing
New housing arguably provides the bulk of a London architect's workload. New projects are everywhere. And, as ever in London, they are mostly quite different from one another.
Interestingly, the metropolis exhibits has works from a number of foreign architects.
Herzog & de Meuron are now doing their third building (an extension for the Tate Modern, soon to be complete) and have another one lined up (an apartment building at Canary Wharf); the Renzo Piano Workshop has twobuildings (Central St Giles and the Shard); Jean Nouvel has one (One new Change); Rafael Vinoly has one( the Walkie-Talkie, in Fenchurch Street).
Meanwhile the Americans who arrived in the mid-1980s are still here: SOM, Pelli (with a new buildingin the rapidly changing Victoria Street area), KP, David Walker and Swanke Hayden, for example.
The Modernist phenomenon
if you are interested in an older generation of Modernists working in London they are examples such as the Erno Goldfinger house at 2 Willow Road (owned by the National Trust and publically accessible). Golfinger (yes, of James Bond / Ian Fleming fame) lived around the corner to Fleming and this pre-war design upset the author so much he named a famous fictional villain after the architect and the whole matter ended up with lawyers.
Further out you can find places such as Homewood, by Patrick Gwynne.(If you want James Bond, it's in the Gwynne 1960s studio part of the house.)
But perhaps the most notable early Modernist was Lubetkin and his firm, Tecton, such as the two HighPoint blocks in north London:
Art Deco? Depite what we're told, there is actually little of it in London. One of the best examples is the former entrance lobby to the Daily Express building, in Fleet Street (usually open for Open House London, designed by Ellis and Clark, with an interior lobby by Robert Atkinson (1932)). It now has a large banking building behind it, as does the adjacent fomer Daily Telegraph building (both from the late 1980s):
One of the other notable inter-war, Modernist works is the set of flats at Lawn Road (Isokon, by Wells Coates). Early famous residents included: Bauhaus émigrés Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, and László Moholy-Nagy; architects Egon Riss and Arthur Korn; Agatha Christie (1940–46) and Adrian Stokes; Jack and Molly Pritchard lived in the penthouse. The communal kitchen was converted into the Isobar restaurant in 1937, to a design by Marcel Breuer. (Wikipedia links). It was more recently restored by Avanti Architects.
More from that period? How about the Simpsons building in Piccadilly (Joseph Emberton, 1936), now a Waterstones book store. (Also see the new Foyles building in Charing Cross, designed by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands. Both have cafes at the upper level.)
One of our favourite '60s examples of Modernism is this 1961 block by Norman Bailey. However, the '60s was particularly notable for a range of post-war housing estates and a few notable public buildings such as we see at the SouthBank (LCC and GLC architects) and at the Royal College of Physicians (Lasdun).
Our tour will take you to a selection of such works and give you the flavour of what Modernism was about between the late 1920s and the 1960s.
Along the River Thames
The River Thames has always served as the life-blood of London. However, its character has changed dramatically over a long history from when London and Westminster bridge were constructeds, to the remarkable changes of the last twenty years (especially along the south-side of the Thames)
This tour will use public transport and the fast commuter boats on the river, and will require that you have an Oyster card.
The half-day tour will concentrate upon the are between Westminster bridge and Tower bridge.
The full day tour will also get to Greenwich.
London's Urban Places and Spaces
(To come.)
London is not that difficult to understand once you appreciate that, in essence, it has a distinctive and simple urban geography. Here, we can help you. And once you grasp the basics, you can continue to explore in more detail, giving London your own, personal identity.
Once you recognise the importance of the river and how it has served London, you should then account two historic urban areas focused upon two churches: St Paul's cathedral in the City of London, and Westminster Abbey (the church of St Peter) in the government area to the west. Both were founded in the 7th century.
After that there is a simple pattern and a simple historical dynamic that becomes increasingly complex and nuanced as one investigates it. And that is where Architectural Dialogue can help you to make sense of London as a whole: the persoanal sense that you want it to have.
The River Thames is the proverbial 'life-blood' of the metropolis. It divides the northern areas from the south, but also signifies what unites them. Without the river there would have been little of the shipping traffic that established and sustained the wealth of London. Whereas it was once an open sewer, it has now (you will be pleased to know) been cleaned up. People actually do fish there.
Today, we not only have bridges across the river, but railways stations – such as Blackfriars Station, which sports an array of solar panels along its whole length.
Perhaps the most famous of the River Thames bridges is the Arup–Foster Millennium Bridge – soon to be joined by a new (and controversial) landscaped bridge designed by Thomas Heatherwick.
A hidden London? There is no such thing. London, in it fullness, is always there, before your eyes. Follow up web sites, of course, but try hopping onto any bus. There are lots of them and they provide a terrific service (24/7). See where it takes you ... You'll probably get lost, but then you simply have to hop on another bus – you'll probably end up in Oxford Street, with these other buses:
If you want to get to know London you have to get on these buses (and the Tubes and trains) and, yes, use your feet, to get around, away from the centre
London's street life includes such lively places as Borough Market, Camden Market, Spitalfileds, Soho, etc.
At Camden Market architectural design becomes something quite different ... It's now a rather touristy place, but still fun and still a refreshing comparison corporate and governmental London.
... and there are also such places such as Hackney, Peckham and Dalston to go to (the latter, especially on a Saturday night; forget Shoreditch).
The 6th Edition of London's Contemporary Architecture (An Explorer's Guide)
Published on May 28th 2014.
We have also published an accompanying mapguide to London's most central parts. This is available from Open-City and places such as the Royal Institute of British Architects (in Portland Place, near Oxford Circus).
Peter Murray, Chairman New London Architecture and The London Society, says: "London’s Contemporary Architecture has long been an essential and perceptive guide to the new buildings and places of the UK capital, but this revised edition brings new clarity to the amazing transformation that has taken place in the city since Ken and Victoria published their first edition 20 years ago – an essential read for all students of London, visitors and locals alike." It isavailable on or fromthe Open-City charity – please buy a copy and leave a review.
So what is new in London since the last edition of Ken & Victoria's Guide? The fact that over 230 high-rise buildings above 20 stories each are now in the planning pipeline tells its own story. The fact that Canary Wharf is about to double in size tells a story. That the Kings Cross development (the largest in Europe, the developers claim) tells a story. The post-Olympics developments at Stratford (around the Queen Elizabeth Park, as it is now called) are surging ahead. Everywhere one looks there is a construction site.
London, in other words, is going through one of its periodic historic bursts of energy and growth. We expect the population to grow by one million in the next few years (It is currently 8.3m and will be 9m in 2019 (the largest ever). Click on the image below for a link to animated data on London's changing population.
The AD Mapguide accompanies the guidebook.
London's newest public space
A new, multi-storey public space has been provided beneath the Leadenhall building by Rogers Stirk harbour, opposite the Lloyd's '86 building and Foster's Gherkin.
British Museum extension
Over at the British Museum, the new WCEC (World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre) extension designed Rogers Stirk Harbour was recently completed.
The Foster-designed Great Court at the BM is still terrific (although this photo was taken on a very, very quiet day! Add about 5000 other people and you have a better idea of what it is usually like, particularly in the summer):
Views from on high
We now have views from the Shard and from the top of Nouvel's One New Change, but perhaps the best views still come at the London Eye, designed by Marks Barfield.
The Shard isn't everyone's favourite building, but it does have terrific views – as here, looking down upon the commuter railway tracks coming into London Bridge Station at the base of the building.
And, as another alternative, there is the Cable car at Greenwich.
Oslo Kommune London Visit
We recently hosted the Estates and Planning Department from the Oslo Kommune. Here they are at Kings Cross, with two Associate Partners from Bennetts (who have some interesting work at KX), explaining how this fascinating development is featured.
The mix of old and new, and difficulties with underground railway lines, old buildings, etc., was all explained – and there was a model of the new Google London HQ:
KX (as we call it) is hugely impressive and possibly justifies itself as one of the largest and better of such schemes in Europe (by the developer, Argent (click on the image above for a link to the KX site))
And here, at the end of three days with members of the Oslo Kommune's Estates and Urban renewal Department, they are at the second of two visits to the conversions of old building s to new uses – in this case at the Goldsmith's Centre in Clerken well, with the Director of the charity and the architect, John Lyall.
This is the building (a Victorian school converted and extended with new studio and learning spaces, etc.):
A tour given for a group from Oulu in Finland, led by the City Architectincluded an impromptu tour of the Allies & Morrison office after bumping into Bob Allies in a meeting at his restaurant next door. And we topped off the tour by persuading my wife to take the group up to the top of the Gherkin for drinks. The group was grateful. The City Architects remarked: "I want to thank once more thank you for the last weekend excursion. We had a great time in London. I have got only positive feedback from the participants. They were very satisfied with the arrangements. Many of them told that you are the best guide we have ever had. We Finns are so discreet people that don’t often give much feedback. I wanted to tell this for you."
Dutch Universities London Visit
Earlier this year we hosted a group from 14 Dutch universities interested in current UK campuses. Below, they are a large student accommodation building at Stratford, and at a supper at The Modern Pantry. The building (for 1000 students) is not the finest work of architecture in London, but the visit was very useful to this group, as was their other university visits in London and a trip we organised to the Universaity of Oxford.
Coming in October? You might still have time to see the latest Serpentine gallery pavilion (designed by Chilean architect Smiljan Radić). It's open until October 17th.
It's basically a fibreglass shell, housing a cafe and(characteristically) sat upon a set of large rocks that have been drilled through to take the steel frame that holds up timber decking and the fibreglass.
Nearby you will find the Princess Diana memorial fountains (by Gustafsen Porter) – well, not fountains at all, and rather fun on a sunny day when it's nice just to walk around the Serpentine lake, take tea or coffee in the restaurants, row a boat ...
Foster's War Museum alterations
The first phase of new Foster work at the Imperial War Museum has opened. Despite being a place of 'boys with their toys', the IWM is always interesting (especially the Holocaust Gallery), but the Foster work is somewhat dense and overwhelming. See it and make up your own mind. It is, as the journalists say, 'a work in progress', but nevertheless interesting.
Sauerbruch & Hutton with Fletcher Priest
Another in the City, this time in Ludgate Hill, near to St Paul's: two office buildings by Fletcher Priest and Sauerbruch & Hutton. They are well advanced aand look pretty good. The S&H building sports the usual range of coloured cladding (their trade-mark), but appears to be quite sophisticated.
The Irish in London
Two of the best of recent building are from the Dublin firm of O'Donnell & Tuomey: the Photographer's Gallery, near to Oxford Circus, and the London School of Economics Student Union building – an agitated architecture for an agitating student community!
Below: inside the O'Donnell & Tuomey Student Union building at the LSE:
Towers and more towers ...
We mentioned London as a city of rich mixes – well, this is a part of that: The Tower, One St George, Battersea. It's not the greatest of architecture (and neither is its neighbour, St George's Wharf, designed by Broadway Malyan), but is is how Londoners now wnat to live. Some of them.
The tower is located on the eastern edge of the Nine Elms district, where the Covent Garden wholesale market is currently located and where the new American embassy (a veritable fortress) is being located, togther with a vast set of new housing projects (which includes Battersea Poer Station).)
New Foyles Bookshop
And, yes, new bookshops do exist in London. Lifschutz davidson Sandilands have just completed the reinvention of the former Central St Martins building (they moved to Kings cross, into a new stanton Williams building). It's very large and (like Waterstones in Piccadilly, in the famous old Simpsons 1930s building) has a cafe at the top.
Chipperfield being Semperish at KX
London tends to turn its back on a number of homegrown international architects: Chipperfield and Zaha Hadid currently stand out.
David Chipperfiled now has a rather nice new office building at Kings Cross. It's simple, but packs a punch alluding to Semper.
Hadid's Serpentine Restaurant
Hadid now has four contrasting London designs: a school in Brixton; a restaurant in Kensington Gardens; the Aquatic Stadium in what is now the Queen Elizabeth Park, and the ROCA sanitary fittings shop at Chelsea Harbour.
This is the gallery part of the building:
Hadid's Aquatics building shows that it was intedned as the show-piece of the Games.
Renzo's shock tactic next to Seifert
London now has two buildings by the Renzo Piano Workshop: Central St Giles (with its de rigeur roof terraces and attempts to break up the building mass into ostensibly different buildings); and the Shard, which has an upper level visitor gallery).
The Shard is a building viewable from all over London, replacing other recent landmarks such as the Canary Wharf tower. Do we like it? Hmmm...it's controversial.
Still good after all these years ...
One of the finest works in London is now ageing and surrounded by new (and not very good) apartment buildings, but is still a terrific experience: Herzog & de Mueron's Trinity Laban Dance School. Access can be arranged (they make a visitor charge for a tour of the building, but it is worth it).
Nouvel's wake-up call to Prince Charles
Other notable foreign architects working in London include Herzog & de Meuron, OMA and Jean Nouvel. This is Nouvel's equally controversial work near to St Paul's Cathedral (One New Change):
OMA and the bankers, side-by-side with Wren ...
And this is OMA's bank building for Rothschild's. It is (unlike many City works) a surprisingly well-considered work which strives to relate its modernity to the historical context.
Impressive housings
London is changing. By 2018 there will be 9m people in the central parts (we don't know how many will be in the metroplitan area – 14m?. It is becoming more dense. Whereas Londoners once lived in rows of terraced housing that spreads out into metropolitan suburbs, they are now learning to live in apartment blocks sprouting up in every part of the city. Here, for example,is an instance in south London by Panter Hudspith (in Royal Road; photo Morley von Sternberg) :
The scheme (developed by a housing association) is a courtyard block clad (as is currently fashionable throughout London) in brick.
Rogers' goldfish bowl ...
What is the Londoner's current ideal? A penthouse at the top of a tower near to the River Thames.
This is an example from Rogers Stirk Harbour: (NEO, which is adjacent to the Tate Modern. The practice has a similar scheme in the Nine Elms area that includes Battersea Power Station.
How you travel will depend on which airport you are using and also where you are attempting to get to. That sound obvious, but it can make a big difference to how you travel.
Using Heathrow Airport: the quickest way in and out is to use the Heathrow Express train. This will take you to Paddington Station, from where you can take a taxi or use the Underground to get to a hotel.
The cheapest will be the Piccadilly Line Underground – but it can take at least an hour from the airport to central London; and then you have to walk to the hotel.
If a coach is meeting a group you will have to approach a Marshall at the coach pick-up point (which varies from terminal to terminal). They will then release the coach from its parking place (which takes ten minutes). And then there is the ride into London. Expect a one hour journey.
Taxis can be economic if there is more than one person. This also applies to Minicabs.
Our advice? Use the Express train.
Stansted: use a train from Liverpool Street Station, or a minicab (about a £45-50 fare, as for Heathrow; travel time about one hour from north-central London).
Gatwick: use a train from Victoria Station, then travel onward by Underground, bus or taxi. Do not attempt to get to and from Gatwick by road unless you are already deeply into south London.
Luton: use the train.
City Airport: use the DLR and transfer to the Undergroundas necessary.
Most of the London buildings and features you will be interested in will be in the central zones – see the AD Mapguide.
Travel passes, Contactless Credit Cards and what is called an Oyster card can be used. (There is also a Visitor Oyster Card.)
The difference? Paper Passes are for a day or a multiple of days, and allow travel at any time or after the morning rush hour (after 9.30am). An Oyster card is loaded with money, then topped-up as necessary. Note: if money is left over at the end of your trip it is not refundable (you will have to come to London again to spend it).
These choices are readily available at any station (simply use a machine). These card (Travel or Oyster) allow you onto the Underground, railways, buses and the Overground.
Note: when you make a Travel Card purchase you will have to select how many Zones you will be travelling to. Heathrow is in Zone Six, but you will usually be in Zones One and Two.
The rules and prices tend to change, so use the London Transport web site.
Modes of travel :
The Underground is the best way to get around. It is often busy, sometimes when you don't expect it to be.
Buses are very good and a great choice, although sometimes not the quickest way to get around. The run 24/7 on many routes.
The Overground is a train network that was upgraded for the Olympics in 2012 and has become very popular. You can use it to circumnavigate London (with one or two changes).
The Docklands Light Railway was developed in the late 1980s to get people from the City to Canary Wharf. It has since been extensively develiped across the East End and is very good. Use it to get to the City Airport.
Commuter boats on the River Thames ('clippers'). These are pleasant and quick. (Note: these are not the tourist boats.) If you have a Travel card or Oyster, they offer a discount).
Coaches: they can be extremely useful or a nightmare. Always use the smallest possible (17 to 24 people). If you use a 45 seater (etc.) expect delays and difficulties in stopping, picking up etc. Using coaches in times when few people are on holiday (e.g. september and October) can be problematic. Advice? Use public transport whenever possible.
. . . or simply walk. In London you might find you are doing a lot of it.
A car? Well, yes, you can, but expect to sit in traffic and find it difficult and expensive to park, be photographed every time you do something incorrect such as using a bus lane), etc. On the other hand, it is sometimes the best way for a few people to get around to all kinds of architectural works (think about obscure projects in remote and suburban locations).
Cycling? This is a very popular way to get around, but we kill one or two cyclist a month in central London. On the other hand, it is fast, convenient and usually pleasant. But have a helmet and a lock; and don't run down pedestrians (as many London cyclists tend to attempt).
There are many apps around . But the best palce to go is the the London Transport travel planner website for all details on tickets and ways to travel.
This can advise you how to get from A to B, and when to expect delays, building works, etc.
If you have a smartphone, use an app such as CityMapper (others are available). It will tell you how to get from A to B, which means of transport to use, when the next bus will be arriving, etc.
We also (if you are willing) like to take you out into areas tourists are less likely to visit. But then simply finding the city's interetsing mix of architecture will do this for us anyway.
And, since there is more to London than buildings (everything from restaurants to football matches to the theatre, for example), we do our best to advise and accommodate you on what to do, where to go and (most importantly) how this fits into an itinerary of experiencing London's architecture.
AD customises every itinerary. This usually divides our tours into either rearranging what we know of London, or creating something very special.
Many people tell us that they simply want to know what is going on. We can do that!
If you want a recurring, standard tour on a set theme, we refer you to our partner organisation, Open-City / Open House London, who offer regular Saturday morning tours and similar events.
And please remember: we're members of a well-established network of professionals who undertake this kind of work. If you have queries about visits to other countries and any tours they do (including outside their home city) please contact us with your inquiry.
Ask us and we can advise you.
Above? We're with the architects of Metaphorm at their Brandon Road housing, at the Elephant & Castle.
Make an enquiry about a visit to London and how AD could assist by emailing us with the following information:
• When you hope to visit London, how many people are expected to be in the group, and what you would like from AD.
Our ideal group size is from 12 - 20p, but we're happy to take more, although we may suggest a low-cost earphone system (so that everyone participates).
• Any specific interests that you have, including making contacts (going to the theatre, football, etc.!).
• A contact name, the name of your firm or practice, and its telephone number.
Mail to either of the following
lrobinson@architecturaldialogue.co.uk for general costs for guiding and coaches, etc., or to
kallinson@architecturaldialogue.co.uk for queries regarding itineraries.
Former client have had lots of good things to say:
"Thanks so much for a lovely tour of London a couple of weeks ago. Everyone from Byens Netværk loved your talk. We were just talking about your head set with speakers and were wondering where you got yours? I think that speakers like that would come in handy at many of our events in the City Network." Arrangementskoordinator, Byens Netværk.
"My husband and I had the pleasure of having you show us around the contemporary architecture of London [...] It was a wonderful experience." LS, New York City.
"Just a little note to say that it was great to meet both you and Victoria while in London. The walking tour was a perfect way to start the whirl wind London visit and it was such a lovely surprise to see James again! Drinks at the end of the day at the top of the Gherkin was an absolute highlight. Watching one of Richard Rogers pre-fab lift core components being lifted in to place topped it all off! All the very best." MMA, Melbourne
"I just wanted to say a huge thank you for your time while we were in London.
The walking tour was amazing this year Ken. With access to the Barbican, and James showing through the Tea House, what can I say; it gets bigger and better. To top it all off with drinks at the Gherkin, Victoria, thank you so much for arranging our entry." BW, RAIA
"Many thanks for organising the visits yesterday; another very valuable programme for the BBC which led to some terrific discussions." Head of Design, BBC Property.
"After a wonderful weekend in London we would like to thank you and especially many thanks to Ken who did a wonderful guided tour on Sunday." I.G, Museum of contemporary art, Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
"Dear Ken: Happy New Year! And thanks again for the guiding in London in October. It was very inspiring for all of us." HWR, Norway.
"Thank you so much for guiding us through London and the interesting visits! We had a very nice weekend and enjoyed the sun that finally came." Tyrens.se
"I was about to write to you to thank you for the great two days in London. Everybody enjoyed the projects, the guiding, the historical input and all the funny and interesting stories. Our best guiding / study trip ever — thank you so much!" Soddergruppen, Norway
"Thanks again for the great tour last week. We all enjoyed it very much. The editors were very positive." Armstrong
"My warm regards again from Finland and many thanks for your excellent guidance yesterday. We were very satisfied." KIINKO
"Thanks so much for a lovely tour of London a couple of weeks ago. Everyone from Byens Netværk loved your talk." Dansk Arkitektur Center
"I just wanted to thank you the magnificent tour of Tuesday and your comprehension and permission to do the tour longer than fixed and make possible us to see Highpoint and Alexandra Road. I think these two examples were great for the students (and for me also)." School of Architecture, Zaragoza
"Once again thank you very much for the tour [...] We have enjoyed it very much. My colleagues and I were very impressed with the way you could in a simple scheme tell us the history of London." SAB Amsterdam
Architectural Dialogue is a member of the international Guiding-Architects Network, which – from its beginnings in Europe – now has members as far away as Shanghai and Sydney, Australia.
Member cities of the GA network include:
Member cities of the GA network include:
Amsterdam / Rotterdam
Athens
Barcelona
Belgrade
Berlin
Bilbao
Brussels
Budapest
Cologne
Copenhagen / Malmö
Doha
Dubai / Abu Dhabi
Frankfurt
Graz / Ljubljana
Hamburg
Istanbul
London
Madrid
Milan
Moscow / St Petersburg
Munich
New York
Oslo
Paris
Porto / Lisbon
Prague
Rome
Ruhr / Düsseldorf
Salzburg
Santiago de Compostela
Shanghai
Stockholm
Sydney
Turin
Valencia
Vienna
Zurich / Base
Guiding-Architects is an informal network of like-minded tour organisations led by architects who live in the cities where tours are held. Many clients make a point of using the G-A Network and members of the Network cooperate in maintaining standards. Click on the image below to be taken to the Guiding-Architects web site. G-A welcomes your feedback on tours taken within the Network. Once at the website you can click on a GA-Feedback link.
