Piers Taylor and “The Living City”: Tickets on sale for new talks at Museum of Bath Architecture

Bath Preservation Trust is enhancing its events programme with a series of talks from expert speakers.

April 2023 – Tickets are on sale for the first of an exciting series of new events at the Museum of Bath Architecture, on The Paragon. Bath Preservation Trust introduces the founder of award-winning Invisible Studio, Piers Taylor, who will share his innovative ideas for our city, reflecting on previous projects and experiences. A prolific architect, academic, and broadcaster, Piers encourages collaborators and communities to rethink attitudes to design, through an inclusive and creative approach. Tickets must be purchased in advance for the event, which takes place on Thursday 4th May, with doors opening at 5.30 pm.

Piers’ evening talk will celebrate the living city. Referencing Taylor’s own work on East Quay in Watchet - an arts centre, community hub and the home of social enterprise the Onion Collective - the talk will explore how communities can initiate change on their terms to achieve social and cultural benefits. These themes will open up a discussion on current challenges in Bath and how similar concepts might be applied here.

The talk will conclude with a Q&A with Piers Taylor and Alex Sherman, CEO of Bath Preservation Trust. The ticket price is £12, or £8 for students, and includes one glass of wine or soft drink alternative. There will be an opportunity to purchase more drinks and to enjoy the Museum and its unique collection relating to the development of Bath after the talk has finished.

Booking link.

Alex Sherman, CEO of Bath Preservation Trust says: “We know from both our own academic research and our work with Bath’s many different communities that sustainable city design is something that can and should be approached in consultation with the people who live in them. Indeed, we have seen many examples of building designs that have been enhanced by the input of local residents, which then has a positive knock-on impact on civic pride. Given his work on East Quay, Piers is one of the leading voices on this issue, and I am very much looking forward to hearing him speak. I would encourage anyone with an interest in city planning, urban design, community engagement or architecture to attend.”

Piers will be a familiar face to many if not most architecture enthusiasts in the UK thanks to his history co-presenting various high-profile programmes including The House That £100k Built on BBC Two, The £100k House: Tricks of the Trade, and The World's Most Extraordinary Homes. Piers is a British chartered architect. His work has received awards from the Architects' Journal and the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Bath Preservation Trust’s full roster of events can be seen on its website here.