Photo by Jim Stephenson @clickclickjim

On Thursday 25th February at 6pm we will be premiering our latest film- The Belarusian Memorial Chapel. 

We are inviting Open City Friends for an exclusive screening of an extended edition of the film, alongside a behind the scenes film and a live Q+A discussion with the Architect Tszwai So (Spheron Architects) and filmmaker Jim Stephenson. 

The Belarusian Memorial Chapel:

The Belarusian Memorial Chapel was the first wooden church built in London since the Great Fire of 1666. It was built for the Belarusian diaspora community in the UK in 2016,  and is dedicated to the memory of victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

In our film, we hear Tszwai So talk about the process of designing this chapel, and what this space means for this community. 

Q+A Panel:
Tszwai So

Tszwai So, who was identified as a rising star by the RIBA Journal in 2016, is co-founder and creative director of Spheron Architects- the Architects behind the Belarusian Memorial Chapel. He is a strong proponent of Emotional Architecture – focusing on the emotional aspect of Architecture. Tszwai is also an architectural critic for influential industry publications such as the RIBA Journal, a committee member of the Foundation for Jewish Heritage and a visiting lecturer at the University of Westminster.

Jim Stephenson

Jim Stephenson is an architectural photographer and architectural filmmaker.

Jim  was one of the first people in the UK to specialise in producing short non-fiction films about architecture and in the last few years he has created almost 200 films about architecture, architects and the built environment, ranging from short 3-5min building studies, to practice profiles and up to 20-30min documentaries on design and how it shapes and serves communities. Central to his work is a focus on using cinematic storytelling techniques and structures, tried and tested in decades of fiction and non-fiction films, to elevate the films we make above ‘moving photographs’ and toward beautiful short films that engage and inspire as much as they inform.

Jim is the primary Filmmaker we work with at Open City, and has worked on over 30 Open House films.

Tickets

This is an Open House Friends exclusive Event. Sign up to become a friend today!

Open House Friends will be sent a Zoom link to join the event on the day by email.

Open City Films

Open City creates short films unlocking buildings and landscapes in a spectacular range of locations including manor houses, embassies, public lidos and tower blocks. These intimate behind the scenes film tours take you through the keyhole of special spaces and places across London and beyond.

You can watch the full series on Open City’s Film page.

Series Producer: Nyima Murry