Great Estates Exhibition | AA Member & Alumni Events

Photos by Alexander Furunes

Meeting point: Architectural Association entrance 36 Bedford Square

As part of AA Membership’s ongoing 10r Series of events looking at institutions and developments within 10 minutes walk of Bedford Square, a tour of the current New London Architecture exhibition Great Estates: How London’s landowners shape the city will be given by curator and founder of the NLA Peter Murray on the morning of Friday 13^th December.

“Great Estates” both traces the evolution of London’s estates such as Bedford, Cadogan, City of London, Crown, Grosvenor, Howard de Waldon and Portman estates and examines how they have influenced contemporary regeneration schemes such as Canary Wharf, Kings Cross and the Olympic Park.

“The concept of ‘estates’ is a part of London’s DNA that is both resilient and reflects a long-term attitude to investment, development and management. Regeneration of Marylebone High Street by the Howard de Walden estate in the 1990s had a significant impact on our understanding of High Streets and how independent retail areas can survive in the face of competition from tightly managed malls. As London continues to develop larger brownfield, postindustrial sites through the London Plan’s Opportunity Areas we can look back at the estates over the centuries and learn from their success and longevity. Estates have much to teach us in the long-term management of the city and in the creation of great places.” – Peter Murray, chairman of NLA and curator of the exhibition

Included will be a tour of Pipers Central London Model a 1:1500 scale model of the city centre and centrepiece of NLA’s permanent galleries at the Building Centre, documenting major recent buildings and proposed additions to London urban environment.

Peter Murray is the current chairman of New London Architecture and curator of the exhibition. A former AA Councillor and AA Alumnus, he founded the New London Architecture in 2005 as well as having previously founded Blueprint Magazine, Wordsearch Marketing and the London Architecture Festival.