News release

Richard Rogers, Norman Foster, Ralph Erskine and Terry Farrell are among some of the leading architects who have had a hand in shaping the regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula over the last 10 years. Building on the area’s dynamic architectural tradition Art in the Public Realm Greenwich Peninsula is delighted to be a Partner Organisation for the Canary Wharf, Stratford and Greenwich Peninsula Hub of the London Festival of Architecture 2008, a celebration and exploration of the city’s buildings, streets and spaces.

Art in the Public Realm Greenwich Peninsula is a public art initiative led by English Partnerships and a client group of key stakeholders, including Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Ltd (a joint venture between Lend Lease and Quintain Estates and Development plc) and Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd (a joint venture development by Countryside Properties plc and Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd in association with English Partnerships), Arts Council England and Greenwich Council.

On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June the buzz of the London Festival of Architecture comes to Greenwich Peninsula. There will be a series of free guided walks, talks and events focused around two hubs on the site. Local people and architecture enthusiasts are encouraged to come along and participate in a range of exciting architectural events.

Bridget Sawyers, Co-director of Art in the Public Realm Greenwich Peninsula, said: “It is really exciting that a regeneration scheme of the scale of Greenwich Peninsula is being featured in the London Festival of Architecture. Through the Art on Greenwich Peninsula programme we have put together a festival programme that will appeal to all ages. We want to encourage people to come along and take a fresh look for themselves at this exceptional part of London.”

The programme of events includes:

• Greenwich Peninsula Display
  The new developments at Greenwich Peninsula are being designed by leading architects. See images, fly throughs and models to gain a unique overview of the regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula, Saturday 28 June 11am to 5pm, at the northern hub.
• Future of the Peninsula talk
  A talk led by developer Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Ltd. will provide insight into the regeneration plans and will outline the vision, Saturday 28 June 11:30am to 12:00noon, at the northern hub.
• Greenwich Millennium Village Exhibition
  A display of images and models providing a comprehensive overview of the construction of the UK’s first Millennium Community, Saturday 28 June 12pm to 6pm, at the southern hub.
• Peninsula Square walk and talk
  Walk and talk on and about Peninsula Square designed by Barr Gazetas Architects and Whitelaw Turkington Landscape Architects, Saturday 28 June 12pm to 1pm, starting at the northern hub.
• Architecture at Greenwich Peninsula talk
  Talk by Eoin Keating, Jestico & Whiles Architects providing an insight into the regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula to date and in development, Saturday 28 June 1pm to 1:30pm and Teva Hesse, C.F. Møller Architects and Marcus Lee of FLACQ Architects at 3pm to 4pm, at the northern hub.
• Art at Greenwich Peninsula story walk
  A story walk for young people led by artist Rich Sylvester incorporating stories, archive images and found objects related to local history and ecology, Saturday 28 June 2pm to 3pm, starting at the northern hub.
• Artist-led walk at Greenwich Peninsula
  A history walk by artist Julian Walker around Greenwich Peninsula incorporating the history of the site, Saturday 28 June 4pm to 5pm, starting at the northern hub.
• Greenwich Millennium Village walk
  A walk which provides an opportunity to see first hand the award-winning sustainable community at Greenwich Millennium Village Saturday 28 June 4pm to 5pm, at the southern hub.
• Art of Greenwich Peninsula walk
  A walk led by the directors of Art in the Public Realm, taking in the artworks across Greenwich Peninsula and providing an overview of the role of art in regeneration, Saturday 28 June 5pm to 6pm starting at the northern hub and Sunday 29 June 3pm to 4pm, meeting at North Greenwich tube station.

In addition to the events coordinated by Art in the Public Realm Greenwich Peninsula there will be sound installation on the Queen Elizabeth II Pier Dark Waters facilitated by the Royal Institute of British Architects and funded by Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Ltd. In Central Park there is Open City in the Park by Design for London and Picnic in the Park supported by English Partnerships.

The Pilot Inn will be providing a BBQ for the event on Saturday 28 June 2008 and hosting an evening music event.

The London Festival of Architecture runs from 20 June – 20 July and includes street installations, exhibitions, guided walks, cycle rides, boat tours of the city’s river and canals, parties, design workshops, debates, breakfast talks, and weekend street markets. The activity will move across five key areas or ‘Hubs’, with large-scale public events taking place in a different Hub each weekend. Each of the Hubs covers an area with a very different character – historic, present and future – and full of different institutions and activities.

For further information about venues and booking please visit: www.LFA2008.org, www.artongreenwichpeninsula.com

Location of Greenwich Peninsula hubs

The northern hub is the Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Limited Business Centre. Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Limited Business Centre, 1 Green Place, Greenwich, SE10 0PE.

The southern hub is the Greenwich Millennium Village Visitor Centre. Greenwich Millennium Village Centre, Maurer Court, Teal St, Greenwich.

The Art on Greenwich Peninsula client group is headed up by national regeneration agency, English Partnerships, and includes representatives of Arts Council England, Greenwich Council and the peninsula’s two principle developers, Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Limited (a joint venture between Lend Lease and Quintain Developments Plc) and Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd (a joint venture between Countryside Properties Plc and Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd). It was set up by English Partnerships to ensure that a collaborative, inclusive approach is adopted to the provision of art in the public realm across the peninsula in support of the area’s ongoing transformation into a well-connected, sustainable community.

What is art in the public realm?
Art in the public realm embraces a wide range of activities involving artists - from permanent site-specific sculpture and the shaping of our environment, to temporary installations or interventions that excite and challenge our perceptions of our environments. It can have a part to play in the regeneration of communities involving a process that encourages local people to embrace new ideas and skills, to develop a sense of ownership, and make decisions about their locality.

Artists working alongside other professionals and designers can contribute their conceptual and practical skills to the creation of buildings, structures and public spaces. They bring an extra dimension of thought, research, sensibility and understanding to the design of public places and the way people experience them.

Art in the public realm can encompass sculpture, installation, painting, craft, applied arts, design, film and video, sound art, digital art, new media, urban design, architecture, street art, community arts, socially engaged arts practice, process based art and temporary arts events, including festivals and public screenings.

English Partnerships is the government’s national regeneration agency. Our aim is to deliver high quality, sustainable growth in England.

The agency is overseeing the regeneration of Greenwich peninsula and has invested over £225m in the last ten years.

English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation are working with the Department for Communities and Local Government to establish the new Homes and Communities Agency.

Arts Council England works to get more art to more people in more places. They develop and promote the arts across England, acting as an independent body at arm’s length from government. Between 2006 and 2008, they will invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and the National Lottery in supporting the arts. This is the bedrock of support for the arts in England. They believe that the arts have the power to change lives and communities, and to create opportunities for people throughout the country. For 2006 to 2008, they have six priorities: taking part in the arts, children and young people, the creative economy, vibrant communities, internationalism and celebrating diversity.
www.artscouncil.org.uk

Greenwich Council is the local authority responsible for providing a diverse range of public services to residents and businesses in the inner London borough including refuse collections, social housing and education services. It covers an area of more than 5,000 hectares stretching from Deptford in the west to Thamesmead in the east and Eltham in the South to Woolwich in the north and serves a population of approximately 226,600 people. There are currently more than 100 different languages spoken in the borough, and it’s estimated that about 25 per cent of the Borough’s population are from ethnic groups other than white. The Council's ongoing aim is to make Greenwich the place to live, work, learn and visit.

Greenwich Millennium Village Limited is a joint venture development by Countryside Properties plc and Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd in association with English Partnerships.

Countryside Properties Plc is a leader in property development, the creation of sustainable communities and urban regeneration. The Group is widely recognised as a responsible developer which is totally committed to sustainable development. The Company, which was incorporated in 1958, is owned jointly by the Cherry family and Bank of Scotland which is providing the Group with significant funding.

Taylor Wimpey Developments Ltd is a part of Taylor Wimpey plc, listed on the London Stock Exchange and the UK’s largest homebuilder. Through its homebuilding brands George Wimpey, Bryant Homes and G2, Taylor Wimpey provides nationwide coverage in the UK, building one bedroom apartments and starter homes up to large detached family houses. As well as operating in the UK, Taylor Wimpey plc builds homes in North America, Spain and Gibraltar.

Greenwich Peninsula Regeneration Ltd

The £5 billion regeneration of 190 acres of Greenwich Peninsula led by Lend Lease and Quintain Estates and Development PLC working with English Partnerships, will create a thriving new riverside community for London over the next 15 years.

• 10,000 new homes in distinct residential neighbourhoods
• 24,000 permanent jobs
• Peninsula Central - a new business district for London
• 150 new shops and restaurants
• 1.6 miles of river frontage; the distance between Waterloo and London Bridge
• 48 acres of open spaces and parks; the size of Green Park
• Extensive new community and leisure facilities
• The O2 entertainment destination delivered and operated by AEG Europe
• Excellent transport links, situated in zone 2 on the jubilee line
• Aspiration for the highest environmental standards for new buildings

Lend Lease, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, is a leading real estate specialist which creates and manages real estates assets around the world. In the UK its business is focussed primarily in the delivery of large scale mixed use schemes which lead to the regeneration of major urban sites.
Quintain Estates and Development PLC is a leading property investment and development company specialising in strategic property acquisition, redevelopment, asset management and regeneration across the UK. Quintain operates through three businesses- fund management, property investment and urban regeneration.

Quintain is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a FTSE 250 company