The Gingerbread City has returned to London, showcasing how playful design can make urban environments happier, healthier, and more connected, through the wonderfully logical medium of biscuits.
This year’s edible metropolis features 50 one-of-a-kind gingerbread structures under the theme ‘The Playful City’, which aims to show that people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can experience play beyond childhood.
Now in its ninth edition, the festive exhibition, created by the Museum of Architecture, has attracted more than 145,000 visitors since its launch in 2016.
Its mission is to find new ways for the public to engage with architecture in an accessible and imaginative way.
The project aims to show how architecture can shape the cities of the future through creativity, interaction, and joy, inspiring fresh approaches to transforming our built environment for the better.
By focusing on playfulness, the exhibition highlights how joy can enrich everyday life. Fun and inviting gingerbread-scapes seek to encourage questions about how we can use architecture to inspire us to spend more time outdoors, which in turn can benefit our health and wellbeing.
This becomes evident as you explore the wonders of the gingerbread metropolis, from accessible ramps made of gingerbread to dark cityscapes reimagined as colourful, uplifting places designed for moments of outdoor relief.
The project also hopes to spark conversations about how architecture can help address the world’s biggest challenges, such as climate change, by raising awareness and encouraging engagement with issues which are often overlooked.
It reminds us why bright, imaginative spaces are so important in inspiring optimism and resilience.
And, of course, no Christmas celebration would be complete without festive spirit. With seasonal music playing in the background and more gingerbread than you could ever eat, you can’t help but leave with a warmer heart, anticipating what many might call the best day of the year.
The Gingerbread City is a available from 29 November 2025 – 04 January 2026 in Coal Drops Yard, London N1C 4DQ.
Featured image credit: Suzi Garforth
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