Guest-edited by Owen Hatherley, thirty-three writers; architects, activists, and Londoners present thirty-three essays exploring famous and unheralded buildings, streets, estates and neighbourhoods across the thirty-three London boroughs.
With contributions from columnist Aditya Chakrabortty to the historian Gillian Darley, via playwright Hanif Kureishi and the politician Emma Dent Coad, the Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs is a journey into the neighbourhoods, housing estates and public buildings of London’s rich urban landscape.
Encompassing everything from Brutalist Polish community centres to suburban garden cities, from pioneering modernist estates to ornate Victorian greenhouses, as seen through everything from grime videos to the films of Patrick Keiller, this book will be a refreshing journey into the city you have been missing, and a celebration of the buildings, places and landscapes which make it special.
Contents
Preface by Catherine Slessor Introduction by Owen Hatherley
East BARKING AND DAGENHAM — Verity-Jane Keefe THE CITY OF LONDON — Helen Thomas HACKNEY — Aydin Dikerdem HAVERING — Tom Wilkinson NEWHAM — Joy White REDBRIDGE — Laura Grace Ford TOWER HAMLETS — Thomas Aquilina WALTHAM FOREST — Eli Davies
South-East BEXLEY — josie sparrow
BROMLEY — Hanif Kureishi CROYDON — Katrina Navickas GREENWICH — Rosamund Lily West LEWISHAM — Nicholas Taylor SOUTHWARK — Johny Pitts
South-West
KINGSTON ON THAMES — Joanne Murray
LAMBETH — Jason Okundaye
MERTON — John Boughton RICHMOND ON THAMES — Douglas Murphy SUTTON — Michael Badu WANDSWORTH — Ruth Lang
West BRENT — Ewan Harrison EALING — Gavin Leonard HAMMERSMITH AND FULHAM — Michal Murawski HILLINGDON — Charles Holland HOUNSLOW — Gillian Darley KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA — Emma Dent Coad WESTMINSTER — Hazel Tsoi Wiles
Design and production
In reimagining our guidebook this year we set out to create a book that is as interesting to handle as it is to read. A thoughtful approach to typography and printing conceived by Studio Christopher Victor will bring together the longer essays with highlights from Open City’s extended network of community groups. Richly illustrated with images and artefacts from some of the city’s vast and eclectic museum collections and archives that have remained closed to the public throughout the pandemic, the guide will be offset-printed in London using premium book papers and metallic spot colours.
240mm x 170mm x 20mm 274 pages 33 Essays + plus much more Edited by Owen Hatherley Designed by Studio Christopher Victor Published by Open House
Sponsors
The Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs was made possible thanks to sponsorship from the Baylight Fondation and Mount Anvil.
Mount Anvil create outstanding places where people can thrive. It starts with the way we do business, with a relentless focus on people and culture, and shows up in the legacy we're proud to create for London.
The Baylight Foundation is based at Walmer Yard, a discreet and private set of four interlocking houses set around a courtyard. This building, designed and crafted by Peter Salter together with Fenella Collingridge, and developed by Crispin Kelly, is the reflection of a long education and the product of a decade of learning, thought, and inspiration.
Gift Aid is an income tax relief designed to benefit charities. If you're a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid increases the value of your charity donations by 25% because as a charity we can reclaim the basic rate of tax on your gift at no extra cost to you.
