By the time you read this the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) will be in full swing. And at a time when architectural buttocks are clenched in anticipation of projects being crunched by credit concerns, there's something to be said for the frivolity that accompanies the occasion. It's imperative that we celebrate the profession, promote its talent and, most importantly, have some fun. Nervousness about Boris Johnson's ascension to power as London mayor is palpable in architectural circles. The sweet dreams of Ken's liberal approach to tall buildings have turned into the nightmare of Boris' belief we can fit everyone in London into their own detached house. A Tim Burton-esque hallucination comes to mind -thousands of angry-faced bungalows, armed with sharp picket fences, loom over a band of tall buildings, which realise they're outnumbered and meekly make a retreat. One can only hope that the exuberance at the LFA opening party, which Boris is attending, goes some way towards extinguishing the flames he has threatened to ignite under some of our most exciting projects.
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