Crafting urban identities

From London and Manchester to the cities of the Gulf and Asia, dramatically changing skylines are a clear testament to the scale and ambition of redevelopment and expansion that our urban areas are currently undergoing. Yet despite this geographic diversity, much of what is being built looks the same. How can we counter generic development in the design of growing cities? Read more

Project / Hale WharfIsland life
Book / King's Cross: The Making of a Masterplan

An exploration of an urban regeneration project that has raised the bar in citymaking, by the masterplanners and developer who authored this special piece of city.

View: York Central
Project / Madinat al IrfanAs if it had always been there
ProjectAl Balad, Jeddah
View: Town Centre First, Ireland
Research / ArtIbrahim Mahama's Purple Hibiscus at the Barbican

Wrapping the Barbican: Ibrahim Mahama’s vision for Purple Hibiscus

Project / Msheireb Downtown DohaFor culture and climate
Research / London’s Olympic LegacyEast Bank Exhibition

East Bank is opening. At the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the project is the UK’s newest cultural quarter. To mark this milestone, Allies and Morrison has curated a new public exhibition.

Book / Citymakers: City Knowledge, Knowledge City

A centuries old relationship; knowledge production and the city. Here we explore the different forms that marriage takes in three cities today, and how the dynamic is evolving.

Project / King's CrossA work of urban repair
Book / Complex City

Complex City is a detailed mapping of London’s historic layers, emerging from our work in characterisation studies. The book puts forward a new argument for character-based development.

ProjectBeltline Yards
View: North Quay, Wood Wharf, Sketch
View: Kigali animation 01
Project / Canada Water MasterplanGreen and blue
ProjectBrooklands
Book / Citymakers: Pragmatics of the Picturesque

The Picturesque has come to influence how we look at and respond to the city. We investigate what the picturesque is, as both a theory of historic origins and as a practical design tool for urbanists.

Research / SustainabilitySustainability Strategy

The climate emergency demands a paradigm shift in our everyday lives. This is why we have developed our Sustainability Strategy to underpin what we do and inform how we design.

ProjectDock Shed, Canada Water
Research / Madinat al IrfanUrban Picturesque

Urban Picturesque: on composing, representing and experiencing the city

Book / Citymakers: A new Urban Model

Msheireb Downtown Doha has sought to engage with a growing Gulf city's local climate and culture. To better appreciate it, we explored it as a case study in urban change.

ProjectThe Liberty
Book / Citymakers: Exploring Models of Urban Development

To understand how new pieces of city emerge (or how existing ones evolve), we went back to study three models of urban development.