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Talking Place
Welcome to Talking Place
The podcast bringing placemakers and storytellers together to talk about place.
The Talking Place podcast is your go-to podcast for exploring the power of storytelling in shaping narratives and identities for neighbourhoods, towns, cities, and nations.
Join your host, Concept Culture’s Creative Director Tanisha Raffiuddin as she talks with experts across the built environment, sharing their knowledge and stories on placemaking, branding, sustainability, language, finance, health, culture, and more.
Whether you are an urban designer, architect, planner, developer, investor, marketeer, or simply curious about places and stories, this podcast is for you.
Listen to our latest episodes of Talking Place and join the conversation on social media!
Follow us on:
Instagram: @talkingplacepodcast
X: @tppodcast_
LinkedIn: Talking Place Podcast
Bluesky @talkingplace
TikTok: @talkingplacepodcast
Host: Tanisha Raffiuddin
Production: Concept Culture
Talking Place
018 - Architecture That Travels: From Expos to Olympics with ES Global
What if buildings didn’t just get demolished, but were moved, reused, and reborn?
In this episode of Talking Place, Tanisha Raffiuddin ‘talks place’ with Olly Watts (Joint CEO) and Amy Casterton (Business Development Director) of ES Global, the company pioneering relocatable, modular architecture for some of the world’s biggest stages - from World Expos and Olympic Games to the ABBA Voyage arena in East London.
Together, they dive into the fascinating world of delivering demountable structures for global events, and how reusable and relocatable architecture is reshaping the future of events, cities, and the circular economy.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
🟣 How World Expos and Olympic pavilions can become catalysts for innovation and legacy in construction
🟣 The challenges of delivering multiple national pavilions across cultures, time zones, and politics on projects like the Osaka World Expo 2025
🟣 What it takes to build high-quality, code-compliant venues designed to move and adapt to new locations
🟣 How projects like the ABBA Voyage arena and the Jakarta International Velodrome prove that circular design can leave a lasting cultural impact
About Our Guests:
Olly Watts is Joint CEO and co-founder of ES Global, leading its global expansion from music touring roots to landmark projects across Expos, Olympics, and beyond.
Amy Casterton is Business Development Director at ES Global, focused on forging partnerships and new opportunities across the company’s international offices in the UK, Japan, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and the US.
Resources & Links Mentioned:
Osaka Expo 2025: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/
ABBA Voyage: https://abbavoyage.com
Whether you’re a developer, designer, or urbanist curious about the future of the built environment, this episode reveals how architecture can travel, and how reuse and modular design are redefining placemaking on a global stage.
Join the Conversation:
What role should reusable, relocatable architecture play in shaping our cities?
Share your thoughts with us on Instagram or LinkedIn @TalkingPlacePodcast with the hashtag #TalkingPlacePodcast
🔗 Links & Mentions:
ES Global:
https://esglobal.co.uk
Olly Watts
Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/olly-watts-78059635
Amy Casterton
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/amy-casterton-85aa0926
To learn more about the host Tanisha Raffiuddin – visit here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tanishaa
Website: www.conceptculture.co
Twitter: @tanisha.rr
Instagram: @tanisha.rr
To learn more about Talking Place – visit here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/talking-place-podcast
Website: https://www.conceptculture.co/talking-place-podcast
Instagram: @talkingplacepodcast
X (Twitter): @tppodcast_
Bluesky: @talkingplace
TikTok: @talkingplacepodcast
To learn more about Concept Culture – visit here:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/concept-culture-uk
Website: www.conceptculture