The Bumblebee City Nesters - Designed by Fisher Tomlin, courtesy of British Land

A unique architectural competition is taking place in London: the development of five luxury insect hotels across the City’s public gardens.
To coincide with the London Festival of Architecture this summer, the competition, launched by British Land and The City of London Corporation, seeks to encourage biodiversity in the City of London and to celebrate 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. Entrants to the competition were required to submit proposals for an ecologically sustainable and creative insect habitat.

Inn Vertebrate - Designed by Metalanguage Design, courtesy of British Land

As a result, architects in the UK are showing their support for insect populations, five hotel designs have been shortlisted as part of ‘Beyond the Hive’ and will now be built around the city.
The hotels have been designed to attract stag beetles, solitary bees, butterflies, spiders, lacewings, and ladybirds, and will be constructed at Bunhill Fields (EC1), West Smithfield (EC1), Postman’s Park (EC4), St Dunstan’s in the East (EC4) and Cleary Garden (EC4).
Starting June 18th, the public can start voting for their favorite design which will be awarded a "Golden Beetle" award along with a juried winner during the London Festival of Architecture.

Published 10.06.2010