Studio OleO and Gareth Volka’s winning entry conceived as a group of iridescent jellyfish floating through the city
Advocacy group Architecture LGBT+ and the London Festival of Architecture have announced the winner of a competition to design a float at next month’s Pride parade in the capital.
The winning entry has been designed by Studio OleO and Gareth Volka and is conceived as a protective canopy of colourful jellyfish floating through the city.
Called Jelly Haven, the concept consists of a cluster of inflated, iridescent ‘umbrella floats’ which will be held aloft and customised by participants, representing how collective strength emerges from individual difference.
The contest invited students, recent graduates, emerging practices, and representatives from more established practices across London to submit a design proposal for a scheme to represent LGBTQIA+ architects at this year’s Pride in London parade on Saturday 4 July.
The judging panel included 2025 Pride float winner Karl Mok, Lucy Millichamp, programme Manager at New London Architecture and LFA, Sarah Habershon and Tom Guy from Architecture LGBT+ and Thomas Bryans from the LFA’s 2026 curation panel.
Architecture LGBT+ founder Tom Guy, who is also director at Guy Piper Architects, said this year’s winning proposal had “challenged our expectations of what a Pride walking installation could be”.
“Rather than representing architecture through buildings, it celebrates the feelings that great spaces inspire: safety, visibility, connection and, above all, a sense of belonging. The image of jellyfish drifting through central London is playful and deeply memorable.
“It is a beautiful reminder of the humanity at the heart of design – and we are incredibly excited to bring Jelly Haven to Pride in London 2026.”
The winning team will now have just nine days to build the float and will be given a £5,000 budget to develop and complete their design.
Architecture LGBT+ and the LFA are encouraging students, academics, architects and anyone working within the architecture community to join the team as volunteers to help build the installation and to take part in the parade.
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