Dialogues 33 – Julian Lewis, East
October 2026
Henley Halebrown is hosting Dialogues 33, ‘Reality Check’ with Julian Lewis
Much of London is fragmented, messy, incomplete, and compromised. Yet, for centuries, architecture has either acted with indifference to this rich condition, or, worse, has tried to ‘fix’ it – insisting on matching heights, filling gaps and straightening grids while ignoring the realities of the city's complex, layered identity.
Julian Lewis, co-founder of East, argues that this mission is misdirected. Instead of trying to cure the city's imperfections, East looks to the existing urban landscape for inspiration, no matter how unpromising. We take pleasure first of all in finding it by observing it. We consider the relationship between background and foreground and where significance may be located. We also approach architecture and landscape as a combined project in order to align more closely with the direct experience of the city.
In this lecture, Julian will touch upon some of East’s methods for enmeshing the complex realities of everyday urban contexts within our architectural projects.
East works extensively across London and throughout the UK and Europe, focusing on enhancing the value of public experience and access in the city. Its projects include housing, masterplans, community and workspace buildings, high streets and other public spaces.
Julian has taught and lectured throughout his career, including at the Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio, the University of Nottingham and the University of Cambridge. He has written for publications and forums including Drawing Matter, the Architects' Journal, Building Design, Architecture Today, the Architecture Foundation, OverHolland, Oase and de Architect.
The talk will take place in Henley Halebrown’s studio on Tuesday 27th October, 2026