Open City appoints Manijeh Verghese as new CEO

Photo by Elena Andreea Teleaga

Open City is delighted to announce that Manijeh Verghese will join the charity as its new CEO.

Manijeh will bring her long standing commitment to engaging and empowering people to shape their cities and spaces, along with her extensive experience in cultural leadership, architectural education and in widening access to the industry.

Manijeh was previously Head of Public Engagement at the Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture where she built up their Public Programme as a free and accessible platform to collectively question how to design a more inclusive society. Her vision for redesigning models of public space in terms of how they are accessed, used and owned was the focus of the 2021 British Pavilion ‘The Garden of Privatised Delights’ which she co- curated for the 17th International Venice Architecture Biennale. As Director of the curatorial practice, SPHERE, Manijeh has worked on projects including the South Asia Gallery for Manchester Museum in partnership with the British Museum, where she empowered local people, who were otherwise excluded from cultural spaces, to bring their stories to life.

Having trained as an architect, Manijeh has subsequently taught, lectured and examined at architectural institutions across the UK and abroad, including teaching Diploma Unit 12 at the AA that rethinks the role of the architect as an agent of change. She also was a tutor at the first Biennale College Architettura that ran alongside The Laboratory of the Future, the 18th International Venice Architecture Biennale, curated by Lesley Lokko. Manijeh is currently an external examiner at The Bartlett, UCL.

Manijeh is one of the Mayor of London’s Design Advocates, championing policies and guidance about access, inclusion and safety in public space, and a Trustee of the Architecture Foundation, where she leads on diversity and inclusion. Manijeh also sits on the advisory board for the DisOrdinary Architecture Project to rethink how disability can transform design in the built environment.

Incoming Open City CEO, Manijeh Verghese comments: “I have long been inspired by the work of Open City and its mission to make the city more open, accessible and equitable. This is especially important in cities like London, where there are so many diverse communities and diasporic cultures that have shaped the city but who are not always

reflected in its permanent fabric, and do not always have a seat at the table. I am excited to work with the talented Open City team to grow their rich existing programmes and create a much-needed forum for city-to-city learning in order to ensure a more representative built environment.”

Open City President, Albert Williamson-Taylor comments: "We are excited to welcome Manijeh as the new CEO of Open City. Manijeh’s passion for connecting people with their urban environment and broadening access to the industry aligns perfectly with our mission to foster a more inclusive vision of our city - one that speaks to everyone, from architects and urban enthusiasts to families and young people. This also extends to our education programme. We look forward to Manijeh leading us in this next chapter, building on Open City’s huge impact to date.”

Manijeh will join the organisation later this month, following the 2024 Open House Festival – set to be the festival’s most successful year. She looks forward to building on this success, both through future editions of the headline event, and Open City’s ongoing programme of activities, across London and internationally.

For press requests and interview opportunities please contact Ellie Mackenzie and Tejal Dave at Caro Communications.

Email: ellie@carocommunications.com / tejal@carocommunications.com

Tel: +44 (0)20 7713 9388