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.

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August 20 · 30 min
Deconstructed: Vanbrugh Castle - Crenellations in Greenwich
In this episode, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by the architect Piers Gough, co-founder of CZWG and a major figure in post-modern British architecture. They discussed Vanbrugh Castle, one of the few surviving buildings in London designed by John Vanbrugh, a hugely important English baroque architect, whose tercentenary is being celebrated this year #Vanbrugh300. The ‘Castle’ itself is a curious and precocious piece of medieval revival architecture, built by Vanbrugh towards the end of his life in 1719 alongside a compound of small buildings on the edge of Greenwich for his extended family. Piers suggests the connections between Vanbrugh’s approach to architectural language and the post-modern architecture pursued in his own practice. For more information about John Vanbrugh, check out: https://www.vanbrugh300.co.uk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
July 16 · 29 min
Deconstructed: The BBC Television Centre - Broadcasting to a Nation
In this episode, Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Samira Ahmed, journalist, broadcaster, presenter and President of C20, to discuss the BBC Television Centre. Opened in 1960 in White City, the building became one of the most recognisable homes of British broadcasting, where countless television programmes were made and transmitted for over half a century. In this episode, we explored the history and architecture of the Television Centre, its place in Britain's cultural imagination, and what its transformation tells us about the changing role of the BBC and public broadcasting. Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
June 11 · 30 min
Deconstructed: Leighton House - Art and Orientalism
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Hannah Lund, Curator of Exhibitions and Displays at Leighton House and Sambourne House. Leighton House was built in Kensington by the Frederic Leighton, a painter, sculptor and president of the Royal Academy famed during the reign of Queen Victoria who vanished into relative obscurity during the 20th century. His house was an important place to create and exhibit his paintings, with a double height studio lit by north facing windows for the vast canvasses on which he worked. Fascinated by the material culture of the Islamic world, he created his ‘Arab Hall’, tiling a domed extension to his house with West Asian ceramics gathered on a trip to Damascus. In this episode we discussed Leighton House, Victorian interest in Arabian culture, and the new curatorial interventions being made this year to mark the centenary of the house as a public museum run by the local authority, with new commissions from artists which query the meaning of such spaces their original context and to us today. The podcast is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 28 · 30 min
Deconstructed: Grosvenor Square - Protest and the State
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by the historian Katrina Navickas to discuss the history of Grosvenor Square in Mayfair as a site of protest and policing. From the early twentieth century the square was home to the US Embassy, and it was the site of several protests against American foreign policy, most notably the Vietnam War in 1968. The policing of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign led to the first CCTV system in the UK being erected in the square. The Embassy building itself, designed by Eero Saarinen, became a potent symbol of American power in London, but more recently the Embassy has moved to a more secure location in Nine Elms. Katrina Navickas is Professor of History at the University of Hertfordshire. Her latest book is Contested Commons: a History of Protest and Public Space in England (Reaktion Books, 2025). She contributed the ‘Croydon’ chapter to Owen Hatherley’s The Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs (Open House London, 2020), and also the Croydon guide for the Open City Pocket London maps. She is also a founding member of the Rural Modernism network. The podcast is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 7 · 29 min
The Home That Made Me: 1 Plot, 3 Families
In this episode Fiona Chilton is joined by Miriam, who lives in rural Devon in a home that she bought together with two other households so that they could raise their families side by side. But the dream was more challenging in reality as they tackled the practicalities of dividing land, buildings and responsibilities fairly between them. It’s a story of a dream becoming a reality, but also of the trade-off between city and country and the quest to combine the joy of wide-open space with the intimacy of a neighbourhood. Is it possible to have both? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 23 · 31 min
Deconstructed: Culling Road Ventilation Shaft - Adventurous Vents
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Judy Ovens, one of the authors of the new book ‘Adventurous Vents: A Journey through the Ventilation Shafts of Britain’. They discussed the Culling Road Ventilation shaft on the edge of Southwark Park, designed for the Jubilee Line by Ian Ritchie Architects. They also discussed ventilation shafts designed by Eduardo Paolozzi in Pimlico, William Whitfield in Paternoster Square and the ‘Camberwell Submarine’. Judy co-founded the architecture education charity Our Hut alongside Lucy Lavers and Suzanna Prizeman, with whom she co-wrote ‘Adventurous Vents’. She has a background in art and architecture, is a teacher and has recently become an accredited Lambeth tour guide. The podcast is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 14 · 55 min
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Healthy Competition
In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a podcast which broadcasts the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our fifth and final debate of 2025, “Heatlhy Competition", where we ask: is there a healthier way to run architectural competitions that makes them worth the risk? Moderators Siraaj Mitha and Jasmin Yeo were joined by six guest speakers: Selasi Setufe, Principal Project Officer at the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Co-Founder of Black Females in Architecture; Rosa Rogina, Associate Director of Place Partnerships at New London Architecture, and Director of the London Festival of Architecture; Jonathan Hagos, architect and Director of Freehaus and a Mayor's Design Advocate; Tomi Balogun, an Accelerate-alumna, second-year architecture student at the Bartlett School of Architecture and winning designer of the 2023 People’s Pavilion; and Chloë Phelps, architect and Director at Grounded & BPTW and Co-Chair of Camden’s Design Review Panels. Hosts: Siraaj Mitha and Jasmin Yeo Music: Massive Music Further reading: London Festival of Architecture Freehaus wins Grenfell Memorial competition // Freehaus GLA - A+U Framework Black Females in Architecture Beyond the Box - People's Pavilion 2023 Grounded The podcast is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
April 1 · 29 min
Four more new towns announced and the future of the Museum of London
This week on The Brief Sahiba Chadha is joined by Henrietta Billings. Henrietta is the director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage, an organisation dedicated to protecting historical buildings. Since joining SAVE in 2016, she has worked on campaigns such as M&S Oxford Street, Anglia Square in Norwich and the historic Grimsby Docks. The government confirms four more locations for its new towns programme // A derelict church with a Grade II listed mural is finding new life as an arts and community centre // A court has rejected a legal challenge opposing the demolition of the former Museum of London // And a storm is brewing in Edinburgh over plans to transform four listed buildings in the New Town into a pod hostel Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 26 · 30 min
The Home That Made Me: The place that raised me
In this episode of the Home that Made me, Nabil Al Kinani reflects on his experience growing up on the Chalk Hill Estate in Wembley, and how his sense of self was challenged as he saw his home through the eyes of others without first hand experience of the place and its community. This experience has profoundly shaped what he wants for his future as well as the responsibility he feels he has to the place and community that helped raise him. Background image for the artwork is by Nabil Al Kinani. Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes The Open City Podcast is recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 19 · 29 min
The UK government hires AI to help speed up planning decisions and the new architects of the BT Tower revamp
This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by Ben Stuart. Ben is director and co-founder of architecture studio able partners, and the host of Able Diaries, a weekly show that gives a behind-the-scenes look at running an architecture practice. Government hires Google to speed up planning decisions in England using AI // Orms replaces Heatherwick Studio on the revamp of BT Tower // Restoration plans for the Brutalist Crystal Palace Sports Centre are revealed // And another blow to Glasgow’s heritage as Forsyth House is destroyed in a fire Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 11 · 27 min
Deconstructed: Peckham Library - Millenium Culture
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by John Puttick to discuss Peckham Library, one of a number of civic and community projects commissioned to mark the turn of the millenium. It was designed by Alsop & Störmer Architects with engineering by AKT II and won the Stirling Prize in 2000, and combines ebullient and eccentric design culture with a hard-wearing material palette to create a hugely successful piece of community infrastructure. John Puttick has over 25 years' experience as an architect and founded John Puttick Associates in 2014. He led the refurbishment of Grade II-listed Preston Bus Station, which was awarded the World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize and Civic Trust’s Special Award for Reuse & Adaptation. The practice’s work includes significant civic and community projects across the UK, and is appointed to the Mayor of London’s Architecture + Urbanism framework. Background image by John Puttick. Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
March 5 · 30 min
Retail giant John Lewis closes its housebuilding venture and what style of homes do Londoners want?
This week on The Brief Sahiba Chada is joined by architect Jeremy Walker. Jeremy is the Head of Design at Human Nature, a property developer currently working on the construction of the UK’s largest timber-structure neighbourhood: the Phoenix development in East Sussex. Together they discuss: Retail giant John Lewis winds up its housebuilding arm amid economic woes // The London Assembly argues Londoners want more traditional-looking homes // The Royal Institution of British Architects calls for the abolition of the Architects Registration Board // And… raising the profile of women architects and designers… we discuss the winners of the 2026 Jane Drew and Ada Louise Huxtable prizes Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 26 · 43 min
In the Room at Accelerate Debates: Designing With, Designing For
In The Room at Accelerate Debates is a podcast which broadcasts the live debates from Accelerate, Open City’s free educational programme. In this episode, you’ll hear our fourth debate of the year, “Designing With, Designing For", where we ask: how often do communities truly get to shape the spaces they live in? This was a special debate held as part of our Open House Festival programme in September 2025 at The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great. For this episode two of our Accelerate Alumni, Khaira Abimbola and Aaron Yonas guest moderated the discussion, and were joined by four guest speakers: Abebaw Mesfin Meri, Director of AM Meri Architects, Kuljeet Sibia, Founding Director of Diverse Dialogues, Peter Sofoluke, Architect and Director at BPTW, and Tasnima Chowdhury, a community organiser and key figure in the Save Brick Lane campaign. Hosts: Khaira Abimbola and Aaron Yonas Music: Massive Music Further reading: Good Growth by Design: Supporting Diversity handbook Diverse Dialogues Save Brick Lane Urban Symbiotics Civic Square The podcast is produced in association with the Architects’ Journal, London Society, C20 Society and Save Britain's Heritage. It's recorded and produced at the Open City offices located in Bureau. Subscribe on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes and to further support, become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 19 · 27 min
Generational pedestrianisation plans for London's West End and a controversial overhaul of Liverpool Street station
This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by Christopher Martin. Christopher is the managing director and head of urban design at Urban Movement. Together they discuss: Massive pedestrianisation plans for London’s West End move forward // The Brutalist Southbank Centre is listed after three decades of uncertainty // Controversial plans to overhaul London’s Liverpool Street are approved // And campaigners are fighting a decision to leave Clandon Park House a preserved ruin Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 12 · 29 min
Deconstructed: Robin Hood Gardens - Brutalism and Demolition
In this episode, Matthew Lloyd Roberts was joined by Sam Elbahja to discuss a vanished building with a complicated history. Robin Hood Gardens was a housing estate in Poplar, designed by Alison and Peter Smithson for the LCC, completed in 1972. It was the first opportunity that the Smithsons had to enact their long-developed ideas about modern residential planning, including 'streets in the sky', a principle for community design grounded in the sociological patterns of kinship in the East End. The building was controversial from the outset, and in 2010, Tower Hamlets Borough Council decided to demolish and redevelop the estate. In 2025, the demolition of the estate was completed, and the V&A Storehouse opened in nearby Hackney Wick, featuring a fragment of the facade of the building as part of their collection. Sam Elbahja is a Moroccan-Thai poet and artist from East London, and a recent Architecture graduate from the University of Cambridge. Sam is an Eden’s Scholar and recipient of the Cambridge David Flemming Prize, she is also a four-time published poet, with work featured by the V&A, Chicago’s Trope, and in her debut collection Naked Pen. Sam’s greatest passion lies in community engagement and exploring the intersectionality of architecture, poetry, and art - recently co-founding an interdisciplinary collective called ISO. Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
February 5 · 25 min
Government guidance on best practice design and why you should still become an architect in 2026
This week on The Brief Sahiba Chadha is joined by Caroline Harper. Caroline is the Managing Director of BeFirst, the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham’s urban regeneration agency. Together they discuss: Government reveals its latest housing design and placemaking guidance // London house prices need to fall, says the housing minister // Níall McLaughlin wins RIBA Royal Gold Medal // And amid downturn and uncertainty is a career in architecture and the built environment still endlessly rewarding? Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 28 · 30 min
The Home That Made Me: When home becomes a prison
Introducing a brand new show from Open City: The Home That Made Me. In this episode Fiona Chilton is joined by Clare who after years of renting managed to buy her dream flat in London. But, within a matter of months, everything changed and her sanctuary became a place of despair. This experience has profoundly changed how she sees the balance of power in the built environment, and has forever changed what she would look for in any future home. Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 22 · 28 min
Government launches ‘biggest home upgrade plan in UK history’
This week on The Brief Fran Williams is joined by Tom Dollard. Tom is an architect and partner for sustainability at Pollard Thomas Edwards. He was recently appointed Mayor’s Design Advocate and is Chair of the Good Homes Alliance. Together they discuss: Government launches ‘biggest home upgrade plan in UK history’// Westminster Council puts Retrofit at the heart of the city // New plans to protect architects from unqualified rivals // And Mexico’s LANZA picked for this year’s Serpentine Pavilion Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend. Music credit: Homestead by Punch Deck | https://soundcloud.com/punch-deck Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 15 · 31 min
Deconstructed: Tate Modern - Art and Power
In this episode Matthew Lloyd Roberts is joined by Christian Dimbleby to discuss Tate Modern, the former power station converted into a gallery for modern art by Herzog & de Meuron at the turn of the millennium. Originally built as Bankside Power Station from 1947 to designs by Giles Gilbert Scott, the discussion ranged from the challenges in transforming infrastructure into cultural spaces and the lasting lessons which can be learned from the conversion. Christian Dimbleby is the UK Head of Sustainability at White Arkitekter, where he leads the integration of sustainable design principles across the practice’s UK portfolio. He is also an active speaker on sustainable and regenerative design, regularly engaging with universities and sustainability organisations such as Architects Declare. Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
January 8 · 29 min
Labour’s New Towns, rural regeneration and the Da Vinci code of English architectural heritage
Description: This week on The Brief, Merlin Fulcher is joined by Giles Smith, a founding member of the Turner Prize winning art, architecture and design collective Assemble, to discuss: Milton Keynes’ original planners call for more social homes in the latest new towns // New plans are set out for a world-leading cultural hub in the remote Scottish Highlands // A discovery in Shropshire offers a breathtaking incite into English architectural heritage // And finally, the great and good of architecture have been celebrated in the New Year Honours list Subscribe to the Open City Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes 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. Bureau is a co-working space for creatives offering a new approach to membership workspace. Bureau prioritises not just room to think and do, but also shared resources and space to collaborate. To help support excellent and accessible, independent journalism about the buildings and the urban environment, please become an Open City Friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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