RSHP designs street banners for Heart of London in celebration of the LFA

Debuting as a festival hub for the London Festival of Architecture 2019, Heart of London Business Alliance (representing St James’s, Piccadilly Circus, and Leicester Square) plays host to a thought-provoking flag installation on the famous street of Piccadilly, St James’s throughout June.

Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, the vibrant and unique banner designs explore the London Festival of Architecture 2019 theme ‘Boundaries’ and encourage visitors to take the time to explore Greater London’s physical, political, social and economic boundaries that exist in our modern day lives.

“It is our hope that this series of banners above Piccadilly will encourage all passers to contemplate some of the political, physical, visual, spatial, social and boundaries that exist within the city around us."

More importantly, our aim for this study is to effect a lively and colourful intervention along Piccadilly for all to enjoy — a splash of colour and the opportunity to provoke a thought, a smile, or even just a nice photo opportunity.

We were delighted to be able to work with the Heart of London as part of the London Festival of Architecture, and we hope that these banners will brighten up a few days in the month of June, perhaps generating some truly great Instagram moments.” Says John McElgunn, Partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Consisting of six designs, each row of banners explores the limitations of London with themes including greater London and its boroughs, the river Thames and arterial routes, city-wide London View Management Frameworks, London’s parks and squares, suburban housing and large-scale interruptions and the private dwelling.

An accompanying exhibition will be hosted in the St James’s Church gardens, where visitors can further appreciate each design and the questions they pose. Exploring the London Festival of Architectures theme ‘Boundaries’, the colourful and spirited flag installation and exhibition also endorse the work of the Heart of London Business Alliance’s mission to tackle homelessness in the West End.

For further information on events occurring in St James’s, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square during the London Festival of Architecture, visit hol-lfa2019.co.uk

About Heart of London Business Alliance:

Heart of London Business Alliance serves as a voice for 500 businesses and 100 property owners in the Piccadilly & St James’s and Leicester Square areas. Heart of London Business Alliance supports the commercial well-being of businesses and organisations in Piccadilly, St James’s and Leicester Square, to ensure each area remains integral to London’s West End offer as a place for people to visit, live, trade and work.

About St James’s, Piccadilly Circus and Leicester Square

Located in the heart of London’s West End, the area offers a unique and unrivalled mix of culture, entertainment, food and shopping and is home to many vibrant neighbourhoods. With a global mix of over 2,500 restaurants & bars, 2,000 shops, 40 renowned theatres, 30 museums and galleries and 7 tranquil green spaces, London's West End is one of London's most visited destinations attracting more than 200 million visitors a year from across the world.

About The London Festival of Architecture

The London Festival of Architecture (LFA) is the world’s largest annual architecture festival and is exploring the theme of ‘boundaries’ in 2019. The LFA’s mission is to support London’s architectural and design talent, enthuse and engage with the public, and find new ways to look at familiar places. Every June it celebrates innovation and design through a public programme that showcases London as a global architectural hub and promotes positive change to its public realm. The theme for the 2018 event – identity – inspired over 500 events across the capital, attracting 600,000 visitors and a global audience of 122 million. A year-round programme of design competitions, design charettes, campaigns and other activities also champions London as the best place in the world to practice and enjoy architecture.