A SAVE event in collaboration with the LFA
As part of the 2025 festival theme, Voices, SAVE Britain’s Heritage presents a discussion with Henley Halebrown and The Gentle Author of Spitalfields Life to explore the concept of embodied memory in the loss and reuse of buildings.
While the environmental case for preserving existing buildings through adaptive reuse and retrofitting is increasingly recognised, there is an equally profound, yet often overlooked, value: the sense of identity, history, and belonging that buildings provide. Embodied memory—shaped by time, use, and community—defines how we engage with our surroundings and informs our connection to place.
From modest structures to iconic landmarks, preserving old buildings strengthens ties to our environment and resists the alienation that can result from transient streetscapes and speculative development. This event will delve into how prioritising cultural and environmental continuity can challenge commercially driven urban transformations, ensuring our cities remain recognisable, inclusive, and meaningful for those who call them home.
Simon Henley of Henley Halebrown will offer insights into the architectural significance of embodied memory. In response, The Gentle Author of Spitalfields Life will reflect on how this concept manifests through the stories, people, and attachment to buildings they encounter in their work and campaigning.
We invite you to join the conversation as we explore why preserving embodied memory is essential for the future of architecture, urban life, and our connection to the places we inhabit.
Speakers:
– Simon Henley (Principal of Henley Halebrown)
– The Gentle Author (Author and Historian, Spitalfields Life)
Chair:
– Henrietta Billings (Director of SAVE Britain’s Heritage)
Simon Henley is a principal of Henley Halebrown, a London-based architecture practice. He has over 25 years’ experience of adaptive reuse and retrofit projects and working with historic buildings. He combines practice with teaching, writing and research, and is the author of The Architecture of Parking and Redefining Brutalism.
Since 2009, The Gentle Author has written Spitalfields Life, a daily blog about the culture of London, drawing a large international audience, publishing more than 20 books, leading community campaigns against exploitative development and hosting walking tours of Spitalfields.
Tickets: £9 General Public | £8 Friends & Saviours | £7 Students (incl. a glass of wine & Eventbrite booking fees). On sale from 7 May 2025.
