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The exhibition immediately followed Bartfest, the Bartlett School of Architecture's annual celebration of student work, which ended on 5 July 2003. One of the most prestigious architecture schools in the world, the Bartlett consistently attracts and produces young architects of the highest calibre. Many members of staff at the school are pioneering and well-known architects in their own right, and through their creative influences, graduates often go on to work on some of the most challenging and esteemed projects around the world.

This year, more than 450 students exhibited their final year projects including drawings, models, devices, texts, animations and installations. With such a large student body, units are formed of between 17-20 students, led by two tutors. Dr Iain Borden, Director of the School of Architecture, said: "This system leads to an intense tutorial relationship between staff and students and between the students themselves, permitting many distinctive approaches to architecture and teaching."

This year's graduates worked in a total of 22 units, each examining different aspects of architecture and approaches to design problems. The units are deliberately diverse, stimulating creative but friendly rivalry between the groups. This intensity leads to mutually beneficial results all round, firing the imagination and constantly pushing boundaries. Unit 4 embarked on a journey to fulfil the senses and become connoisseurs of pleasure with their 'Serious Glamour' programme, while Unit 21 created urban ideologies for the famous waterfront of Hong Kong's harbour.

Bartfest 2003 was opened by Daniel Libeskind, an international figure in architectural practice and creator of the Jewish Museum in Berlin. The exhibition is complemented by the Bartfest/Lowe International Lecture Series, running in tandem with the show itself. Four public lectures by prominent architects are taking place up to 4 July 2003, featuring Heneghan Peng, who have recently won the largest global architecture competition in history, to design the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

Images: Top - Work by Jonathan Picardo, Unit 19. Middle - Satu Streetfield's Serious Glamour project. Bottom - Daniel Libeskind.

To find out more about the Bartlett School of Architecture and its related events use the links below.

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