Gingerbread City set to open in Coal Drops Yard

Museum of Architecture’s The Gingerbread City® is back for 2025 - and this year, it’s all about play: how can we design cities that spark joy, curiosity and social connection?

Opening on Saturday 29 November in Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, the Museum of Architecture’s much-loved festive exhibition brings together leading architects, engineers and designers to build an extraordinary world of imagination and creativity using gingerbread and a lot of sweets.

Now in its ninth year, The Gingerbread City® celebrates the extraordinary creativity of architects and designers as they reimagine the cities of the future - entirely in gingerbread. It’s a showcase of design brilliance and festive imagination, inviting visitors of all ages to step into a miniature world of architecture, innovation and Christmas wonder.

This year’s theme, The Playful City, celebrates the power of fun, curiosity and design to make our cities happier, healthier and more connected. From colourful, interactive public spaces to rewilded rooftops and buildings that invite movement and joy, architects are reimagining what “play” means for people of all ages.

For exhibition and workshop tickets visit www.thegingerbreadcity.com.

A City that Plays

Cities are getting busier, faster and smarter - but are they more fun? The Playful City flips the question, asking what would happen if joy, curiosity and movement shaped the way we live and design.

Across the world, architects and designers are turning rooftops into gardens, pavements into playgrounds and public squares into spaces that spark connection. Play is fast becoming a serious design principle - one that fuels wellbeing, creativity and community.

From Copenhagen’s Superkilen Park, a riot of colour and cultural expression, to Bristol’s Hello Lamp Post, where street furniture talks back, playful design is bringing cities to life.

At The Gingerbread City® 2025, every structure is a one-of-a-kind edible creation. Visitors might find a train station that doubles as a skate park, a school with slides between classrooms or a block of flats filled with rooftop gardens and candy-coloured climbing walls - proof that cities really can play.

Speaking about this year’s exhibition, Melissa Woolford, founder of Museum of Architecture said: “We love choosing themes that get architects dreaming big - and get the public smiling. The Gingerbread City® 2025 asks how fun, imagination and interaction can shape the future of our urban spaces. It’s about rethinking what cities are for - and reminding everyone that good design can be joyful, inclusive and fun.”

Make your own Gingerbread House

After exploring The Gingerbread City®, continue the fun in our workshop space and build your own gingerbread house to take home. Perfect for families and friends, each session (for up to four people) follows this year’s The Playful City theme, with visitors constructing a joyful Community Centre in gingerbread form.

Workshops are ticketed, and pre-booking with your exhibition ticket is recommended.

A New Home at King’s Cross

For the first time ever, The Gingerbread City® pops up at Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross - one of London’s most vibrant destinations for shopping, dining and design. Set within this creative hub, the exhibition is part of the area’s wider Christmas celebrations, inviting visitors to step into a world of festive wonder in the heart of King’s Cross. This year’s programme also includes the return of Club Curling with Senses Unwrapped – an exciting new sensory experience exploring sight, scent, sound, taste and touch, plus ten dazzling festive markets showcasing independent makers, seasonal flavours and unique gifts.