Award-winning AL_A was formed on a strong foundation of established and new projects with a reputation for work of originality and integrity. This followed the end of Levete’s 20-year partnership with the late Jan Kaplický at the highly influential Future Systems, where together they realised award-winning buildings including Selfridges department store in Birmingham and the media centre at Lord’s cricket ground.

The ethos of the office is rooted in design research and a commitment to exploring the transformative potential of space. Developments in digital fabrication have allowed the office to challenge conventional notions of form and space alongside the continued value placed on hand-drawings and hand-crafted models. The team’s collaborative approach to the design process extends clients’ ambitions for their projects and produces ground-breaking work.

As an extension of its design research agenda, the office uses the design of furniture and objects to explore architectural ideas and test material possibilities at a smaller, more intimate scale, and collaborates with materials manufacturers to push the boundaries of their fabrication techniques. Amanda Levete has a long-standing relationship with Established & Sons to design furniture, including Drift bench and the Around the Corner collection—each carved into a form by an advanced software program and then worked by hand.

Our portfolio includes a number of highly anticipated international commissions, including a new gallery, courtyard and entrance for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, a cultural centre in Lisbon commissioned by EDP, a 1.5 million square foot luxury shopping mall and 6-star hotel in Bangkok, and a project for the Naples Subway in collaboration with Anish Kapoor.