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This is a short poem I was inspired to write...hope you enjoy.

Voice of the Unknown Architect

Come one, come all, to Austin Smith Lord! For riches await us in the U.A.E!
We only have one project for a cultural quarter, which will be our Barbican until year 2030.

Our scheme is unique and loved by all! One glimpse at the 1:200 model and you'll see!
They didn't tell me at the interview, that we will forever be repeating Stages C & D...

My appetite for the metaphors and etymology you conjectured, were so elegant, overstated and insatiable!
You expanded to three offices in a 200M radius, and like a fort without a gate- that just isn't defendable.

We designed. We drew. We modelled and even flew to out to present in abu dhabi!
We were paid the best rate in London for years! But never voiced our complaints- of which there were plenty.

When times were good, our pay increased, and the cookies and doughnuts were in their abundance!
But no one saw the signs...you'd eventually make 30% of us redundant.

We weathered storm and adjusted the scheme to suite the clients budgets and requirements,
Some jumped ship, some came on board and a even a few went into retirement.

One month. Two month. Three month. Four.
Our salaries reduced like the abu dhabi pearl diving industry in years of yore!

We saw the cracks and canyons appear in your landscape; our sightlines identified something quite shoddy.
But we stood by you whilst your borrowing ability reduced, and your cash flow dried up like a Wadi.

Jennifer and Neil I commend you for your fortitude, with the CVA you've put together.
Ignore the dim-wits who want you wound-up and locked away forever.

For that benefits no-one- Not a single creditor!
Maybe they have less to loose than me? I'm sure Mies would agree here: less is certainly not better.

To add misery to the situation, the ASL ex-pats in the ab-dab office are procuring and injunction.
I didn’t realise their greed could surpass yours- even in my wildest imagination.

This is not the end for you, its just temporary gossip highlighting your flaws.
Please chase the crown Prince, on my behalf, for the money that's due, for the building that never was.

Our scheme is on hold, whilst Sadiyat Island progred courtesy of Zaha and Foster,
I doubt this was the vision of the ASL's Design Director

I hope you do extract as many millions as you can, locked away in the Emirati sands.
And please find the mole who's leaking to The BD and beat them with your bare hands!

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