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Architecture Summer Activities

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As the beginning of your architecture course approaches, we understand that you might be looking for ways to enrich your knowledge and experience over the summer. Our academic team has put together a list of recommended activities, reading materials, and resources to help you gain deeper insights into the history and practice of architecture.

These are all friendly recommendations - it's completely up to you how much (or little) you decide to do!

See & Do

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), W1B 1AD

www.architecture.com/whats-on

Explore exhibitions, lectures, and tours organised by RIBA, which provide valuable insights into architectural practice and history.

The Barbican

www.barbican.org.uk

One of London’s most iconic modernist estates, the brutalist complex also includes a performing arts and exhibition centre. Tours of the estate take place over the summer.

The Design Museum, W8 6AG

www.designmuseum.org

Visit the Design Museum to explore exhibitions related to architecture and design. The museum offers various exhibitions and events that delve into contemporary architectural practices and historical perspectives.

The Sir John Soane's Museum, WC2A 3BP

www.soane.org

This museum is a preserved Regency townhouse that belonged to Sir John Soane, an influential 19th-century architect. It offers a unique glimpse into the architectural styles and collections of the era.

The V&A Museum, SW7 2RL

www.vam.ac.uk

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a vast collection of architectural drawings, models, and photographs. It is a great place to explore the evolution of architecture through different periods and styles.

Read

Books followed by an asterisk (*) are available to borrow for free from the LSBU (London South Bank University) library. Offer holders can get early access to the library (and more) over the summer by completing our early access form from www.lsbu.ac.uk/student-life/applicant-hub/early-access-offer-holders.

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School - Matthew Frederick

Archi doodle: An Architect's Activity - Book Steve Bowkett

Architect: The evolving story of a profession – Eleanor Jolliffe & Paul Crosby

Architecture: A World History - Daniel Borden*

Architecture from Prehistory to Climate Emergency - Barnabas Calder

Invisible Cities – Italo Calvino

S, M, L, XL - Rem Koolhaas and Bruce Mau

The Architecture of Happiness - Alain de Botton*

The Death and Life of Great American Cities – Jane Jacobs

The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses - Juhani Pallasmaa

The Image of the City – Kevin Lynch

Towards a New Architecture - Le Corbusier*

Watch & Listen

Watch & Listen

99% Invisible - Podcast

A podcast about all the thought that goes into the things we do not think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.

Abstract: The Art of Design - Netflix Series

This series includes episodes focusing on different fields of design, including architecture, featuring renowned architects like Bjarke Ingels and Tadao Ando. Watch on Netflix.

Belly of an Architect, 1987

An architect dying of stomach cancer attempts to complete his final exhibition on the French theorist architect Étienne-Louis Boullée while staying in Rome. (dir. Peter Greenaway).


Blade Runner, 1982

Ridley Scott’s dystopian, futuristic vision of Los Angeles follows the life of a hunter of synthetic humans (replicants) across a cityscape of perpetual darkness. Star turns include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House and the Bradbury Building.

Grand Designs - Documentary Series 

This series follows people as they attempt to build their dream homes, offering insights into the challenges and triumphs of architectural design and construction. Watch on Channel 4.

High-Rise, 2015

Based on JG Ballard's 1975 novel of the same name, High Rise charts the descent into chaos of a 40-storey luxury tower block in London, where the residents lose touch with the outside world as class war erupts.

My Architect: A Son's Journey (2003)

Directed by Nathaniel Kahn, this documentary explores the life and work of the renowned architect Louis Kahn through the eyes of his son. The film provides an intimate look at Kahn's architectural legacy and personal life, featuring his iconic buildings and interviews with architects, friends, and family.

Parasite, 2019

The rich family's house in Korean director Bong Joon-ho's Oscar-winning dark comedy about society practically steal's the show. Sleek modernist lines and expensive furniture betrays little hint of the leech-black darkness below the surface.

Playtime, 1967

French mime Jacques Tati directed and starred in comedy Playtime, which pokes fun at an absurdly modernist Paris from the future.

Rear Window, 1954

Alfred Hitchcock's claustrophobic thriller Rear Window is told from the fixed perspective of a photographer stuck indoors with a broken leg who becomes fixated on snooping through his neighbour's windows. Greenwich Village apartments set around a courtyard become a stage for murder, intrigue and voyeurism.

The Art of Architecture: Sky Arts Production – NOW Series

Inside look at some of the greatest works of Architecture in the World from Battersea Power Station to the Design Museum (4 Seasons).


The Fountainhead (1949)

Directed by King Vidor and based on the novel by Ayn Rand, this film follows the story of an individualistic and uncompromising architect named Howard Roark, played by Gary Cooper. The movie explores themes of creativity, integrity, and the struggle between artistic vision and societal expectations.

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