Phineas Harper is a London-based writer, founder and cultural leader. A regular contributor to The Guardian, their career spans criticism, curation, education, youth work, journalism and sculpture. INSTAGRAM.
BIO
Harper has held wide variety of roles across culture, media and design. They have served as Chief Exeuctive of Open City, Deputy Director of the Architecture Foundation, Deputy Editor of the Architectural Review, Chair of the Design Council Homes Taskforce, Co-Founder of New Architecture Writers, Co-Founder of Turncoats, and Co-Chief Curator of the 2019 Oslo Triennale.
At Open City, Harper led far-reaching and impactful change steering the organisation through the challenges of the pandemic while transforming and growing its programmes for which they were awarded am Honary Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architecture. As CEO they launched award-winning new educational and cultural initiatives, oversaw major digital infrastructure upgrades and secured the charity’s largest ever public grants and corporate sponsorships while building a more diverse staff team and board.
Harper’s career is marked, in particular, by a long-standing commitment to making design and heritage more engaging and accessible to diverse audiences. As Deputy Director of the Architecture Foundation they co-founded New Architecture Writers in collaboration with the historian Tom Wilkinson which has transformed the landscape of architectural criticism in the UK.
Previously, Harper co-curated the Oslo Architecture Triennale on the theme of degrowth and served as Deputy Editor of the Architectural Review. They also also curated the 19th Architecture Prize of the Land Steiermark in Austria and have served on the juries of the Civic Trust Awards and Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings Awards. They have written widely on the intersection of design and politics including for the Guardian, Dezeen, the Literary Review, the Independent, Harvard Design Magazine, and DOMUS. The books they have worked on as contributor, editor and publisher are listed below.
Harper is a trustee of the Twentieth Century Society and was a trustee of Woodcraft Folk.
(c) Kamil Kożuch / Element Urban Talks. High res.
Selected projects and talks
TALK | One Way Ticket To Infinity And Back, Rethinking Tourism Symposium, TU Vienna, 2020
EXHIBITION | Into The Woods, Host Gallery, 2023
TALK | The Architecture of Degrowth, Arkitekturgalan, Stockholm, 2020
BOOK | Gross Ideas: Tales of Tomorrow’s Architecture, 2019
BOOK | The Alternative Guide to the London Boroughs, Open City, 2020
SERIES | Turncoats, 2015-2020
MAGAZINE | The Architectural Review, 2011-2015
PRODUCT | London Plane Tree Bag, Open City, 2023
BOOK | London Feeds Itself, Fitzcarraldo Editions + Open City, 2024
EXHIBITION | Oslo Architecture Triennale, 2019
INSTALLATION | Orrery, Glastonbury Festival, 2023
TALK | Green is the New Black, Haus der Architektur, Graz, 2019
STRUCTURE | Good Grief, The Architecture Foundation, 2016
TALK | The Kids Aren’t Alright, British School in Rome, 2018
ARTICLE | Why Men Should Wear Skirts, The Guardian, 2024
BOOK | Public House, Open City, 2021
TALK | The Architecture of Maintenance, Barbican Centre, 2019
ORGANISATION | New Architecture Writers, 2017-present
EXHIBITION | Cascades, San Mei Gallery, 2024
BOOK | A People’s History of Woodcraft Folk, 2016
Open City
As Chief Executive of Open City until 2024, Phineas’ led far-reaching and impactful change across the organisation steering the charity through the challenges of the pandemic while transforming and growing its programmes.
Sculpture
I will be taking commissions for bespoke kinetic sculptures, installations and individual mobiles from July. If you are interested in commissioning a piece please get in touch.
Writing
Phineas’ writes for The Guardian and Dezeen regularly. Their work has been published in The Independent, Evening Standard, The Architectural Review Harvard Design Magazine, the Literary Review.
Books
Phineas has contributed to a number of books as an author, publisher and editor including A People’s History of Woodcraft Folk and a book of architectural science fiction, Gross Ideas: Tales of Tomorow’s Architecture.
Oslo Architecture Triennale
In 2019 Phineas curated the Oslo Architecture Triennale in collaboration with Interrobang and geographer Cecilie Sachs Olsen. Combining theatre, fiction and exhibitions the festival examined the architecture of degrowth bringing together economists, performers, architects and activists from around the world.
Wallpaper
Films
Phineas has written, presented and directed a number of short documentaries about architecture and urbanism. Shown here are some selected films made with the Architecture Foundation and the Architectural Review.
The Barbican: A Middle Class Council Estate (2015)