In the spirit of the Olympic Games, the London Festival of Architecture has selected the theme of ‘The Playful City’ for their 2012 festival. The ACF London is pleased to contribute with the exhibition Urban Sport Pockets.
In the midst of the two capital cities’ imposing architectural heritage are gaps, incidental places and spaces amongst the ‘feet’ of buildings where inhabitants congregate to play impromptu sports such as parkour, cycle polo, football, urban golf, basketball, and skateboarding.
These places of activity facilitate personal expression, collective interaction and colour the city’s urban realm. These spaces are referred to as Urban Sport Pockets (USPs). From the skateboarding vaults under the Queen Elizabeth Hall of London’s Southbank Centre to the parkour trails through Vienna’s Karlsplatz, sport has been and always will be linked to the urban realm.
Anglo-Austrian architect Nick Baker and photographer Hamish Park, have compiled this intreguing exhibition exploring London and Vienna's USPs, investigating their relationship with the surrounding architecture, their national identity and value as incubators of a city’s sporting talent.
Private View Thursday 21 June 7-9pm
exhibition continues until 7 September 2012
