As part of a regular feature – Letter from the Director – Rob Fiehn explores the trends and events that are currently taking place across London and shares them with you.

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Dear lovers of London, 

There is a good feeling in the air. We saw a great result on Wednesday night for followers of football and the Society celebrated its own achievements at our annual Summer Party. We met with friends and members at Studio Smithfield, a new creative workspace located in the eaves of Smithfield Market, by meanwhile developers Projekt. That area is full of history and its going through huge amounts of change, so we thought it would be the perfect place to raise a glass and discuss what makes this city so amazing. Our chair, Leanne Tritton, thanked the team for their hard work, as well as our sponsors for their unwavering support. But it is our wonderful members that she praised the most. For those that couldn’t make it to the event, I wanted to extend my heartfelt thanks, we are nothing without you! And, as I have mentioned to some members already, I’m planning to instigate a new Members’ Forum where you can tell us what you want to see from the Society.  

It’s been very busy since my last letter. We were taken on a fantastic tour of the UCL East Marshgate building, designed by Stanton Williams. This mega structure contains a vast array of facilities for students to enjoy, including spaces for workshops and manufacture which develops skills that must be retained for London to enjoy a rich mix of talent and creativity. The tour ended with a panel discussion on the future of educational campuses in London, with lots of insights into the planning and development of the London Legacy Development Corporation. The latter part of the event was expertly chaired by trustee Dave Hill and was put on as part of the London Festival of Architecture.  

We have recently had the chance to celebrate the great Peter Murray. He delivered the inaugural Murray Lecture at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington. It is the first in a series of city-scale talks that are being organised by our friends at New London Architecture. As many of you will know, Peter was once the chair of the Society and he joined a small group to save the charity from obscurity a few years ago. His lecture was focused on London’s past, present and future, with a particular emphasis on the power of the public realm to make truly great global cities. He also offered a rallying cry for London to have its own city architect, which has proven so successful in places like Seoul and Malmö. 

It does seem that London has all to play for at the moment to try and retain its title as the greatest city on the planet (to use Peter’s terminology) but it will take hard work from us all.