LONDON FESTIVAL OF ARCHITECTURE AND SKY GET LONDONERS CYCLING

Press Release May 2010

The London Festival of Architecture (LFA), the UK’s largest celebration of architecture taking place in the
th th
capital from 19 June to 4 July, has teamed up with Sky to get people on their bicycles with a host of
guided tours across the city called LFA Sky Rides.

Cycling is a major attraction at this year’s festival which attracts thousands of people keen to discover
more about London’s architectural treasures. Organised in partnership with Feilden Clegg Bradley
architects, there will be over 20 organised LFA Sky Rides taking place, led by some of the country’s most
respected architects and cultural commentators.

Director of the London Festival of Architecture, Peter Murray said “We are very pleased to be working
with Sky. The Festival’s theme is ‘The Welcoming City’ and we believe that cycling cities are a nicer place
to live and work. Sky’s support of the festival will enable us to offer a range of exciting and innovative
cycle tours around London’s most inspirational sites.”

Sky’s Director of Cycling, Corin Dimopoulos added, “Sky Ride offers a number of different ways for
people of all ages to get on their bikes. Cyclists on these rides will be able to seek out London’s hidden
treasures from a different view point. We are pleased to support this festival and, combined with our other
Sky Ride events taking place this summer, we hope to get more people on their bikes.”

Highlights of the LFA Sky Rides include a gastronomically themed tour ‘France in London’, incorporating
food, drink and architecture led by cultural critic Stephen Bayley. An exploration of remodelled housing
th
estates led by designer Wayne Hemingway, a sketching tour of 17 century buildings with historian
Benny O’Looney and a tour of London football grounds with architectural historian and football fan Simon
Inglis.

In addition to the LFA ‘Sky Rides’, the festival will feature other cycling attractions. On Saturday June 19
the roads around Smithfield Market will be closed off, during the day they will be available for traffic-free
family cycling, in the evening they will be transformed into a racetrack for the ‘The Smithfield Nocturne’, a
circuit race around the market featuring some of the world’s top road cyclists and a special Festival
Architects and Developers race. An innovative bicycle parking solution will be unveiled at the festival
created by designer, Anthony Lau. He has developed a bike parking unit that resembles a car and sits in
a car parking space, they will be ‘parked’ in bays across the city throughout the event.

For more information about the rides, visit www.lfa2010.org

ENDS

 
Notes To Editors:

The London Festival of Architecture 2010:

The Festival will take place from 19 June to 4 July 2010, encompassing three weekends and
two intervening weeks. Each weekend has a different geographic focus: Central: Nash Ramblas (Portland
Place/ Regent Street), East : High Street 2012 (Whitechapel, Bow and Stratford in the East) and South:
Bankside Urban Forest (Southbank and Bankside Cultural Quarter). The Festival will incorporate
complementary initiatives the International Architecture Student Festival, the International Architecture
Showcase, Love Your Street and Open Studios. Affiliated talks, installations, exhibitions, pavilions, walks,
bike rides, performances and Big Breakfasts will take place throughout the Festival. The theme of the
festival is The Welcoming City, a reference to the design of cities, which are amenable, tolerant and
engaging, as well as to the Olympic slogan for 2012 that “London welcomes the world”. Follow the
London Festival of Architecture on Twitter to find out all the latest news: www.twitter.com/LFA2010

The London Festival of Architecture is produced collaboratively by London’s leading architectural

organisations—The Architecture Foundation (AF), New London Architecture (NLA) and the Royal Institute
of British Architects London (RIBA)—in coordination with a broad range of cultural and professional
partners. Peter Murray is Founding Director, alongside co-Directors Sarah Ichioka (The Architecture
Foundation), Nick McKeogh (Pipers Projects) and Tamsie Thomson (RIBA London).

The London Festival of Architecture is sponsored by Arts Council England, Land Securities and the
London Development Agency. For more information and to register an event please visit www.lfa2010.org

CORE PARTNERS
The Architecture Foundation is a non-profit agency for contemporary architecture,
urbanism and culture. We cultivate new talent and new ideas. Through our diverse
programmes we facilitate international and interdisciplinary exchange, stimulate
critical engagement amongst professionals, policy makers and a broad public, and
shape the quality of the built environment. We are independent, agile, inclusive and
influential. Central to our activities is the belief that architecture enriches lives.
www.architecturefoundation.org.uk

NLA is the centre for London’s built environment. Our programme of exhibitions,
events and publications brings together leading professionals in the public and
private sector, politicians and the general public, to share knowledge and identify the
challenges and opportunities of the capital's built environment. The NLA galleries,
based in The Building Centre feature the Pipers Central London model and are open
to the public 6 days a week attracting over 2500 visitors from London and abroad
each week. The NLA will be the official headquarters for LFA2010. For more
information please visit www.newlondonarchitecture.org

RIBA London is the body for architecture and the architectural profession in the
capital city and is the largest RIBA region in the UK. It represents over 12,000
members and co-ordinates a diverse programme of events, competitions, CPD
programmes, awards and policy initiatives that together promote excellence in the
profession and campaigns for design quality in London. RIBA London works with
government and a range of other partners to improve the delivery of public
buildings, new homes, public spaces and new communities. For more information
visit: www.architecture.com/ribalondon

 
London Festival of Architecture Sky Rides

Devised and organised by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios with Face Partnership

A series of cycle rides led by well-known names will showcase the capital’s
vibrant architecture this summer, taking place 19 June – 4 July 2010 as part
of London Festival of Architecture 2010.
The rides are sponsored by Sky and will be enjoyable evening or daytime
trips, open to everyone, that offer a fantastic insight into new parts of the city
and a way of learning about its history, culture and hidden secrets.

From Observer architecture critic Stephen Bayley to commentator and

housing designer Wayne Hemingway, from Stirling Prize Winners Keith Bradley and Mike Keys to
Olympic Landscape Designers and the developers of Kings Cross & St. Pancras, all the tours will be led
by experts who are passionate about their subject in particular and about London in general.

The twenty rides, devised by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, will stop off at buildings and urban spaces
and explore the themes behind some of London’s most interesting new buildings as well as some of her
oldest architectural icons.

A full list of these events can be found at www.lfa2010.com, including details of start times and locations,
approximate distances and other helpful information for riders. Places on each ride are limited and
bookings can be made through the website.

For images or further information contact Rory Scott or Sam Lopez at Caro communications on
020 7336 8488 or rory@carocommunictions.com or sam.lopez@carocommunications.com