MYFLAIR

Sexy from all angles, the Garden at Annabel's in London makes the Baroque Movement seem lackluster.  The Wagner Biro designed steel and glass retractable roof allows nature to bite back in an urban environment typically devoid of it's sweet bounty.  Brace for a floral hangover.

At the Heath

The pergola at London's Heath hemorrhages the design brain. The rough-hewn materials are a lovely departure from the vaguely gauche whitewashed Walpole standards stateside. It's silvered patina, the wayang kulit-like shadow play spawn from the intricate lacework of overhead beams and task plantings of wisteria.... burgeons a spree of landscape inspiration.

Tourniquet

Thomas Heatherwick is at the top of my dance card.
To mark the transition into this under recognized London hospital, he bandaged it's skeletal structure with braided stainless steel frames.  With a Tensor Bandage je ne sais quoi, his installation supports the weight of the structure, resuscitates the cement and glass fabric of the neighborhood and subdues the overbearing scale of the cityscape.

Lady Garden

I'm with Her.  The ladies of Britain have created a campaign designed to increase awareness of female cancers.  In support of the Gynaecological Cancer Fund, they have named their collective the LADY GARDEN.  Follow their achievements #ladygardencampaign

London Bridge

I'm loving this Northwest London footbridge. Members of the shoe leather express must be positively soft-shoeing over the beautility of Heatherwick's engineered feat.

The Fourth Plinth Project

I'm all over the Fourth Plinth Project in London's Trafalgar Square.  In each corner of the open space supports  a sturdy plinth featuring expected gubernatorial sculptures - except for the fourth plinth which has never been trimmed with a stone occupant. 

Fantastically, London deemed this site as an excellent depot to house art installations.  The recent winner of the Fourth Plinth Project is local talent Antony Gormley.  His bid invites volunteers to take over the plinth for one hour segments to do whatever they please.  The imaginations of these participants is extraordinary.

kiosk curiosity

Thomas Heatherwick was commissioned to upgrade London's traditional newspaper stands in Chelsea.  The walls of his output remind me of a stack of fanned magazines.  An engineering whiz, he designed the sides with hinges to allow the kiosk to open like a blooming onion-love it.

John Madejski Garden

London's V and A's courtyard is spectacular.  Rooted on the vernacular of the Formal English Garden, it has been stippled with modern sass. 
Notice how the ovate pool is stepped along it's coping.  This feature allows the space to approach the grandeur of Trevi Fountain status while providing the only seating option in the space.  The surrounding architecture has a strong rhythm, I only wish that the grass tapis vert skirted the courtyard and pool symmetrically.

luke jerram

London's Canary Wharf is the current home to Luke Jerram's Aeolus sculpture.  A stunning pavilion, it also serves as an acoustic instrument that captures the sound of the wind.  Acting as a sensational cuff on the linear armature of the open space, it's scale is in perfect proportion with the occupier of the space and the surrounding architecture.  It's an interesting amalgamation of Tina Turner's jewelry in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and a trip to church.  Love it.

ArcelorMittal Orbit

Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond have crafted the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London's Olympic Park.  A modern day Eiffel Tower, it stands as Britain's tallest sculpture.  Take a trip to the top viewing platform to truly enjoy the machine aesthetic.

Company's Coming

I get an architectural kick out of watching cities structurally resuscitate once winning their bid to host the Olympic Games.
This ritual reminds me of my mother preparing for one of her extreme dinner parties. (Floral arrangements grow from thin air, dance tents erupt in the backyard, oyster shukers prepare their ice beds on the patio, musicians rehearse in the living room, candy dishes are extolled of cashew dregs while the caterers go bananas in the kitchen.) There is a huge degree of work involved to master the fine art of entertaining.
In London's case, the scale is exponentially extruded. The world is coming to visit. Their improvements campaign to bolster their urban infrastructure is well underway. On my radar is Heatherwick's Olympic Cauldron (yet to be unveiled) and the King's Cross Station renovation by John Mcasian + Partners (above).

Harvey Nichols, London

Thomas Heatherwick's "Autumn Intrusion" is an infusion of iconoclastic design theory that arrests the pedestrian from the expansion joints of the sidewalk. It's an architectural portmanteau. To amalgamate the interior and exterior spaces, he simply stitched a luminous thread through the two entities. Love it.