OUR capital city boasts a skyline of iconic structures full of history but with the hectic bustle of day-to-day life, it is easy to rush past the buildings and not appreciate their significance.

The London Festival of Architecture is running events every weekend throughout June, for people to go behind the scenes at some of the city’s most innovative architecture practices, to see what architects do and how they improve our landscape.

Cullinan Studio in Islington will be demonstrating live walkthroughs with virtual reality headsets, Cousins & Cousins will open their offices in Camden High Street and in Elephant and Castle, Studio Gil will be working with the Latin American community by curating a series of live projects.

The festival has been organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects London's Open Studios Programme and will feature picturesque boat tours run by Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE) from the studios in Diespeker Wharf, Islington.

The group specialises in the creation of new neighbourhoods and the revitalisation of old ones with projects that embrace residential development which turns cities, towns and villages into thriving and sustainable places complete with schools, health and community centres, shops and workspaces.

Tim Metcalfe, a member of PTE, explains why the architectural floating cinema will give people a glimpse into why it is not only important how buildings look, but also how they are made, the way they are used and how they age.

Why did you want to get involved in the London Festival of Architecture?

“In a frantic, ever expanding city it provides a much needed platform to stop, reflect and celebrate the many impressive achievements of London’s architecture. This year’s theme around community feels very timely, how we engage with one another within our industry as well as with the wider public to celebrate and promote architecture.

Will a boat tour be a useful way for people to see beautiful landmarks?

The Floating Cinema will embark at Diespeker Wharf or Granary Square, Kings Cross and you can enjoy a unique floating tour through the changing local canalscape. The trip includes travelling through the historic Islington tunnel; built in 1820 and the longest navigable canal tunnel in the South East. The Regent’s Canal was the busiest commercial stretch of canal in Britain until the introduction of the railways in the 1840s provided a cheaper mode of transport.

What is interesting about Diespeker Wharf?

PTE’s studios at Diespeker Wharf provide a great working environment, a local landmark and a visible expression of the practice’s ethos. Along with our neighbouring developments on City Road Basin, they show how restored historic buildings and radical new ones can stimulate economic, social and environmental regeneration.

Pollard Thomas Edwards (PTE) first occupied the building in 1994. Initially the top two floors were converted into office space for PTE, with new mezzanines hanging from the existing trusses. On the lower ground floor impressive pyramidal foundations have been excavated to double up the floorspace. In 1999 a two-storey glass block overlooking the canal was added. An award-winning garden and landscaped courtyard have been created beside the canal.

How was the floating cinema built, as it is a 60ft widebeam canal boat? What was the idea behind this?

In May 2012, UP Projects announced an Open Call architecture competition to find a new team of architects to design a brand new Floating Cinema which we hope will become a more permanent fixture on East London’s waterways. The winning design was announced as Duggan Morris Architects in September 2012.

Duggan Morris Architects’ design ‘A Strange Cargo of Extra-Ordinary Objects’ is inspired by the intensely rich industrial heritage of the Lea Valley. The two ‘strange domestic cargoes’ that float above the waterline frame a central square which forms an outdoor ‘public square’. The cinema auditorium is a finely crafted semi translucent box that illuminates from within.

The new design features a bespoke audio-visual system designed by The Useful Arts Organisation which includes a 24-hour webcam that will link to the project website, high-end projection equipment, and broadcasting capabilities to stream events and screenings live to the Floating Cinema online audience.

The boat is powered by a Hybrid Marine engine system that will run on Bio Fuel.

To book a boat tour, visit http://architecturediary.org/london/events/6442

To find out more about the festival, visit: www.londonfestivalofarchitecture.org