Alumni-founded architecture studio to take centre stage at London Pride march
oo office, founded by a trio of Newcastle University Architecture graduates, has been announced as the winner of the 2025 Pride Float design competition.
20 June 2025
Huge congratulations to Architecture graduates Rania Francis, Karl Mok and Oleg Sevelkov, whose winning design, Proudspeaker, will feature in the annual Pride march in London on 5 July.
The 2025 Pride Float design competition was launched earlier this year by London Festival of Architecture (LFA), Architecture LGBT+, and Freehold, working in partnership with Brookfield Properties and Eastern City BID. The competition invited architects and designers to propose a float concept for the 2025 Pride in London Parade that celebrates the visibility, diversity, and creativity of LGBTQIA+ architects and the wider built environment profession. The winning design, Proudspeaker, was submitted by alumni-founded studio oo office.
Founded by Rania Francis, Karl Mok and Oleg Sevelkov, who met while studying at Newcastle University over a decade ago, London-based oo office works across architecture, research, and storytelling, creating projects rooted in cultural inquiry and material intelligence.
Rania and Oleg both graduated from our undergraduate Architecture degree programme in 2013, with Rania remaining on campus for another year to complete a Certificate in Architectural Practice at Newcastle University. Fellow oo office founder Karl gained his undergraduate degree a year later in 2014, and then returned to campus in 2017 to study for his Master’s.
With Proudspeaker, the trio transforms the float into a monumental megaphone, amplifying the multiplicity of LGBTQIA+ voices from London and beyond. “The form of the Proudspeaker is composed of individual stories, gathered and woven together in a magpie-like process,” said the team. “It becomes speech made visible in the heart of public space—an act of joy, pride, and protest.”
Proudspeaker was selected for its powerful interpretation of LFA’s 2025 theme, Voices. The float responds to the call for visibility and representation in architecture by turning the parade vehicle into a dynamic symbol of unity and protest, rooted in radical inclusivity and the importance of listening.
The winning design will debut at Pride in London on Saturday 5 July 2025. Rania, Karl and Oleg will work closely with production partners to realise the float, which will be mounted on a 7.5-tonne truck and incorporate safety features and sound systems for the parade route.
Huge congratulations to the team for their success!
Image credits: London Festival of Architecture
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