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Director Victoria Thornton receives OBE in New Years Honours

date added: 07.01.2012

Founding Director of Open-City Victoria Thornton receives OBE in New Years Honours list as organisation celebrates 20th anniversary

Victoria Thornton, Founding Director of Open-City has received an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Years Honours list for services to architecture and architecture education. In 1992 Victoria created the first Open House London event, which over the past 20 years has become one of the most successful annual events in the architectural calendar, attracting over 250,000 visitors to over 700 of the capitals buildings. Open-City as an organisation will also be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with an event filled itinerary taking place throughout 2012 highlighting the successes and current initiatives included in its three strands of work, public engagement (Open House London), education (Architecture in Schools) and advocacy (Green Sky Thinking and My City Too!).

Victoria was previously awarded in 2003 an Honorary Fellowship from the RIBA also in recognition of her contribution to architecture and the education of future generations and is currently a board member of the Irish Architecture Foundation (2005- present) and Architecture Centre Network (2006 – present).

Victoria Thornton: “This is great for the organisation as it shows the importance and worth of what we are doing especially in terms of educating future generations in the value of architecture and the role it plays in their everyday lives.”

Tim Brooks Chair of Open-City Trustees: “All who know Victoria will testify to the passion and commitment she brings to promoting better understanding of the built environment, and its importance in our lives. It is particularly fitting that this recognition comes at the start of our 20th anniversary year. 2012 promises to be the best yet for Open-City with some of our high-profile initiatives including London's best loved architecture event, Open House London (which has now become worldwide with 16 cities replicating the initiative); Architecture in Schools (over 30,000 schoolchildren having benefited) and My City Too! (giving a voice to Young Londoners).”

About Open-City
Open-City is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that champions the value of well-designed places and spaces in making a liveable and vibrant city, and the role everyone plays within it. It champions excellence in design quality and advocates for an inclusive and informed approach to the development of London. Through the organizations three strands of work including public engagement, education and advocacy a basis of experience, expertise and research has built up over the past 20 years encouraging dialogue, debate and learning about how architecture and public space affects our daily live. Ultimately giving people the tools and language to enable people to discover and understand how they can make informed decisions and really influence change in the built environment.

Open-City are the only organisation that actively involves such as a variety of stakeholders across London, connecting up those that plan, design, and build the city to those that live and work in the city both through their own action research and in their advocacy, education and engagement programmes.

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