Join us for the launch of London Arboretum, a richly illustrated compendium published by the Architecture Foundation, exploring how trees shape London and how London, in turn, has shaped its tree spaces.
Conceived and edited by Judith Lösing, the book features 26 archetypal tree settings from ancient woodlands to community orchards, combining photography, original drawings and social history. The publication includes contributions from Ken Worpole, Linda Tieu, Gio Iozzi, Loretta Bosence, Eric Guibert and Richard Wentworth.
We are pleased to present a panel chaired by writer and social historian Ken Worpole including architect, joiner and gardener Judith Lösing; Sue Morgan, Director at Around the Block Ltd; Susanna Grant, designer and gardener at Arnold Circus.
The event will also include a special performance from the singers of Musarc, one of the UK’s most progressive choral collectives, making this a truly unique celebration of London’s trees.
Speakers
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Ken Worpole
Ken Worpole
Described by the New Statesman as, 'a literary original, a social and architectural historian whose books combine the Orwellian ideal of common decency with understated erudition,' writer and social historian Ken Worpole is the author of many books on architecture, landscape and public policy. His most recent publications are No Matter How Many Skies Have Fallen: Back to the land in wartime Britain (2022), and Brightening from the East: Essays on landscape & memory (2025).
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Judith Lösing
Judith Lösing
Judith Lösing is a director at East architecture, landscape urban design and the inaugural research fellow of the Architecture Foundation. In 2023 she set up Tree Talks, a series of events in the Barbican and the Garden Museum. Bringing together artists, architects, arboriculturists, activists, musicians, historians, and gardeners, the talks explored issues around local production and care, money and trees, and protest.
London Arboretum is a book laying out these different positions, shining a light on the history of London through its trees. -
Susanna Grant
Susanna Grant
Susanna Grant is a garden designer and planting expert specializing in bio-diverse, wildlife gardens within urban environment. Her designs are plant-focused and existing ecosystems are considered before adding light touch hard landscaping with an emphasis on re-using existing materials. All her work is underpinned by the knowledge that we share our space with many forms of wildlife, and these existing ecosystems need to be considered and protected.
She lectures in urban planting at UCL and The Bartlett School. She is the author of Shade published by Bloom and was named one of London’s Top Five Garden Designers in The Standard, 2024. -
Musarc
Musarc
Musarc is one of the UK’s foremost experimental choirs. The ensemble has developed a distinct reputation for its interdisciplinary and research-led approach to music and performance, and the space it affords artists and singers to experiment with new ideas. Since its inception, the choir has collaborated with more than 130 artists and composers, including Jennifer Walshe, Keiji Haino, Jay Bernard, Lin Chiwei, Laure Provost, Ed Atkins, Lina Lapelytė, Jack Sheen, Imogen Stidworthy, Neil Luck and many others; and numerous festivals and arts organisations in the UK and abroad – including the Artangel, Tate Britain, ICA Institute of Contemporary Arts, Northampton Contemporary Arts, BBC Proms, London Contemporary Music Festival, Post Disaster (Taranto, Italy), Palais de Tokyo (Paris), the Royal Academy, CCA Goldsmiths, Museum of London, Serpentine Gallery, MK Gallery, Wysing Polyphonic, Cafe OTO and Bold Tendencies.
The choir was founded in 2008 by Joseph Kohlmaier, who acts as the ensemble’s Artistic Director. Musarc’s Director of Music is Oli Kitching. Cathy Heller Jones acted as the choir’s Director of Music from 2008–2021, and David Young 2024–2025. -
Sue Morgan
Sue Morgan
Sue has a 25-year track record in the built environmental and urban renewal. Her experience at Design Council for over 2 years, included leading on key Government backed projects, the delivery of the National Design Guide, High Streets Task Force and Home of 2030, and with major infrastructure clients including Network Rail and Highways England, culminating this year in the successful refresh of the Design Council Expert Network. Prior to joining Design Council, Sue was the CEO of the Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust and the Director of Around the Block Ltd, a consultancy passionate about placemaking, prioritising clients to reimagine public space. A landscape architect by training, Sue has held senior positions with London Borough of Southwark, Better Bankside Business Improvement District, Groundwork London, Building Services Research Information Association (BSRIA) and London Urban Study Centres. Sue is a Director of the Parks Alliance, a Civic Trust Buildings & Landscape Awards Assessor, a Landscape Institute Awards judge and Heritage Lottery Fund Mentor. In 1997 she founded Bankside Open Spaces Trust and was, until recently, a long-standing Trustee. Recent consultancy work on the celebrated brutalist Grade 2* listed Alexandra and Ainsworth Estate in Camden by Janet Jack and Neave Brown, with J & L Gibbons and Erect Architecture, has attracted a Camden Design award and a BALI award and work in the Wandle Valley has achieved RTPI and LI awards.
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More Speakers TBC
More Speakers TBC
