Open City
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 12, 2022 • 20min
Sight loss and the city
This special episode is a collaboration between Sustrans and the Open City podcast. In it, we will hear from members of visual impairment charity Croydon Vision about the impacts of street design on their journeys. In commissioning this piece, Sustrans hopes to spotlight the importance of design that is inclusive and considerate. Sustrans is a charity focused on making towns and cities more liveable, amplifying voices that are sometimes less heard in the decision making process. In this podcast, members of Croydon Vision share stories of journeys in the capital in a series of workshops, the recordings of which were edited by the creative minds at Haus Projects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 10, 2022 • 37min
The radical new Ulez with Oli Lord
This week Merlin is joined by Oliver Lord, head of Clean Cities Campaign UK. They discuss Sadiq Khan's Ulez expansion whouch could transform air quality and congestion across the city, the £1bn of Oligarch property in the capital, the London architects ditch Russia projects in protest over Ukraine invasion, and yet another cyclist is killed at one of London’s deadliest junctions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 3, 2022 • 35min
The Great Homes Upgrade with Catherine Croft
This week Merlin catches up with Catherine Croft, who is the Director of the Twentieth Century Society. On todays show; retrofit takes centre stage in upcoming architects protest and the RIBA London awards shortlist, critics slam a new development at Tottenham Court Road accused of 'murdering' the neighbourhood, the RIBA names seven practices vying to redevelop its 66 Portland Place headquarters, and a new projects sets out to immortalise 1,000 dead architects in a series of limited edition NFTs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 24, 2022 • 33min
Architecture tested to the brink of destruction with Fran Williams
This week Merlin catches up with fellow AJ journalist Fran Williams. They discuss how London's iconic architecture was tested to the brink of destruction by Storm Eunice, why a beautiful estate regeneration has fallen short for local residents, Assemble's psychedelic ‘Dreamachine’ landing in London this spring, and the residents of south London’s Central Hill Estate who are calling on architects to abide their climate pledges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 20, 2022 • 30min
One year of The Londown
We can't quite believe it's been a year since we started this show. Join Host Merlin Fulcher, Open City's Phin Harper, and Producer Poppy Waring for a round table discussion all about this show. We hope you enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 17, 2022 • 38min
The Silvertown Tunnel and Modern Buildings in Britain with Owen Hatherley
This week architecture critic Phin Harper steps in for Rachel Copel as host, and speaks to the author and journalist Owen Hatherley.They discuss the 11th hour attempt by Greenwich councillors to block the Silvertown tunnel development, three cases of systemic racism misogyny and discrimination which have appeared in the news this week, the East London pools struggling to stay afloat as demolition and closures loom, and finally Owen's new book 'Modern Buildings in Britain, a new Gazeteer'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 10, 2022 • 33min
The cost of living crisis with Sadie Morgan
This week Merlin speaks to Sadie Morgan, founding director of Stirling Prize winning architecture practice dRMM and a board member of Homes England. Our top stories this week include the cost of living crisis highlighting the long-running failure to insulate UK homes, the new housing minister who voted against forcing landlords to deliver dwellings ‘fit for human habitation’, the announcement that Architect and campaigner Kate Macintosh will be speaking at Open City’s Thornton Lecture, and what really caused the Marble Arch Mound debacle... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 3, 2022 • 29min
Ridley Road market rescued with Sahiba Chadha
This week, host Merlin Fulcher catches up with architect Sahiba Chadha, partner at Cullinan Studio and course leader on Open City’s Accelerate programmeOur top stories this week include the saving of Ridley Road’s iconic indoor market, benefit changes threatening to impede access to the elite professions, a site walk-out by workers on a £900 million Nine Elms skyscraper, and a new statue for Greenwich waterside seemingly depicting a creative property director… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 27, 2022 • 33min
Richard Rogers iconic Lloyd's building with Andrew Waugh
This week, our new host Rachel Copel catches up with the Andrew Waugh, the founding director of Waugh Thistleton Architects and advocate for low carbon design and construction.Our top stories this week include the future of Richard Rogers' iconic Lloyd's building, the new carbon report which slams the Marks and Spencer flagship store demolition, the Bartlett whistle-blower that was denied access to the RIBA, the new highway code, and we also review who deserves a place in the Architectural canon... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 20, 2022 • 26min
Kill the bill, and journey charges with Jonn Elledge
This week Merlin is joined by journalist, writer, and author of 'The Compendium of (Not Quite) Everything' - Jonn Elledge.Join us for a discussion on: the controversy surrounding new laws targeting peaceful protest and homeless people, the new journey charges facing motorists in London in a bid to clean up London's air, and the new Canary Wharf tower which was sent back to the drawing board after the LFB weighed in on pressing fire safety concerns. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
