Talks: East London Designing urban identities

£12, £6 concessions. Includes talk and drinks reception.

The first in this series of debates focuses on East London, exploring the degree to which the architecture designed for upcoming developments is helping to shape, or erode, the tapestry of London’s identity.

The architectural heritage of London varies between sub-regions, boroughs and local communities, creating a city with many different characters. Will this be the case in the future and how are new developments responding to existing identities and shaping new ones? Indeed, how important are these identities to the city’s future strength and prosperity? From Stratford to Royal Docks, the identity of East London is being drastically reshaped, turning this former industrial area into one of the new cultural and financial districts of the city. We look at key projects in development that will have a major impact on East London with architects, planners and social and political commentators.

This summer the RA is organising Designing urban identities, a new debate series focusing on the evolving identities of London’s sub-regions, looking at a selection of emerging new developments. The series will close with a debate in early June as part of the London Festival of Architecture, continuing in autumn to focus on the North, South and Central London sub-regions.