Views of the City: Creating London's Image

This presentation examined the ‘view’ as a historicised and contemporary socio-political mediation and its role in shaping our relationship to the space of the public realm. It focused on the ‘London View Management Framework’, a key part of the Mayor's strategy to preserve the city of London's character and built heritage. The document outlines the policy framework for managing the impact of urban development on key panoramas, river prospects and townscape views. The guidance designates, protects and manages twenty-six views throughout London. Consisting of views made familiar through historical paintings, guidebooks, postcards and live streams in broadcast media, these views set out to support, and give credence to, the positioning of London as a ‘world city’.

Drawing on the views of London under the ‘London View Management Framework’, this presentation will offered a re-interpretation of accepted modes of re/presentation imagery to question the function and production of space.