Scotland may appear to have a quiet architectural history, but with the ancient castles, haunted townhouses, and unique parliament (whether you like it or not, it is definitely unique) how could this country not produce a building culture worth exploring? The Architecture Fringe aims to do this. Now in its third year, the festival has even more workshops, lecture, tours, and performances to enjoy. This year the festival will investigate ‘Common Senses’ and all of its political and conceptual connotations. The festival has some fantastic events taking place across Scotland this June but here is our selection of the Edinburgh events you just can’t miss.
Exhibition: Sacred Vessels
Check out Tim Taylor’s delicate and powerful tiny ‘water vessels’ made from matchsticks, which pay homages to the photography legacy of the German conceptual artists Bernd & Hilla Becher.
08-24 June, 10am-5pm, FREE
Custom Lane, 67 Commercial Street, EH6 6LH
Custom lane Summer Pavilion
Custom Lane gallery will work with local residents to design and build an experimental, temporary structure within the courtyard, responding to the theme of Common Senses. This space, where people can freely enter and use to respond to the urban environment, will be made using recycled materials and sustainable practices.
11-24 June, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-4pm, FREE
Custom Lane, Custom Wharf, 67 Commercial Street, EH6 6LH
Exhibition: Frankentypes
An exhibition of ideas from five emerging architectural practices, all with different ways of approaching creativity, where they will explore new ways of thinking and living.
09-24 June, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-4pm, FREE
Custom Lane, Custom Wharf, 67 Commercial Street, EH6 6LH
The Pink Flotillas
A mysterious scenic live land sculpture will appear by Viewforth’s metal workshop, Edinburgh Forge, and will aim to act as a vibrant reminder for viewers to connect with nature in an ever-changing city landscape.
09-24 June, Open 24 hours, FREE
Viewforth, EH11 1AL
Baby Pianodrome at the Forge
When would you normally get to see, most probably, the first full-scale prototype of an amphitheatre made from discarded pianos? Well here is your chance.
09, 16, 23, June 12-4pm. 13, 20, June 7pm-9pm. FREE
Edinburgh Forge, Viewforth, EH11 1AL
Exhibition: Salon des Refuses
A celebration of rejection – an open exhibition of Scotland-based architects and their works that sadly never were.
Opening and Talk, 15 June, 7pm-9pm. Exhibition, 16-18, 22-24, June, 10am-4pm. FREE
A449 Architects, 266-268 Portobello High Street, EH15 2AT.
Exhibition: Children Designing
An exciting chance to see architecture inspiring young people to create. This exhibition will reveal the inclusive creative design processes of children and young people.
15-17 June, Friday 5pm-7pm, Saturday-Sunday 12-4pm. FREE
The Ramp House, 9E Bellfield Lane, Portobello, EH15 2BL.
Local Commons Global Senses, City Tour
Civic soup invites you on a trail exploring public spaces and their international inspirations and similarities. This Leith based walking tour will have the starting points and times later announced, and promises to be a unique investigation of an alternative Edinburgh.
16-17 June. Times tba.
Exhibition: Vibrant Shed
International Glasgow based artist Josh Thorpe presents a sculptural response to Edinburgh’s DOK Artist Space, using unassuming materials such as thread, paper, and rubbish, to play with our perception of the material world.
22-24 June, 12-4pm. FREE.
DOK Artist Space, The Steel Shed, Ocean Drive, EH6 6JJ.
ASPECT Cinema
An all-day event revealing how architecture and design features and impacts cinema. Aspect Cinema will present a series of films from dawn to dusk.
23 June, 6am-12 midnight.
Custom Lane, 67 Commercial Street, EH6 6LH.
The Architecture Fringe has exciting events taking place in all corners of Scotland and are well worth a little travel. From poetry events with Carol Ann Duffy in Dunoon, to workshops in Inverness, and of course to Glasgow where people can spend a day as an architect after taking part in the many workshops and lecture taking place in the Dear Green Place. You can find out more about these events on the festival’s website; here.
