More Comment – Page 314
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OpinionIan Martin
Listen to two very intense architects for three hours as they explore the "elemental character of brick"
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Opinion
RIBA's Le Corbusier show is nothing new
Architecture exhibitions are devilishly difficult to get right. The London Architecture Biennale, which looks set to quadruple its audience in its second year, is one way of communicating a difficult subject - so more's the pity that the Arts Council has cut its application for funding and made its future ...
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Opinion
Death and life of an anarchist urbanist
Reading the laudatory obituaries of Jane Jacobs in the newspapers last week, it was easy to forget what a hostile reception she received, particularly from architects, when The Death and Life of Great American Cities was first published in 1961.
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OpinionOne step ahead of the residents
Can we imagine the residents of Fat's New Islington development (Works April 28) applying charming working-class vernacular trinkets to their brand new homes? Well, no, we can't, because the architects have beaten them to it. Would you Adam and Eve it, but haven't they gone and ruined the very thing ...
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Opinion
No Poundbury OK!
The coincidence of Fat's housing, and Alain de Botton's book and lecture, are certainly worthy of an editorial (Leader April 28), but the idea that national housebuilders are attempting "Miesian pastiche" would probably turn Mies in his grave and render most housebuilders incredulous (unless they thought Mies was a new ...
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Opinion
Rather too cosy?
To help architecture students, could BD provide a scale/north point for all its plans? Otherwise the only measure for Fat's New Islington scheme seems to be a car, suggesting that bedroom 3 is smaller than a car, the living room is 1.5 cars, and the storage space is 0.0 cars. ...
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Opinion
Urgent upgrades
Michael Squire (Soapbox April 28) is quite right that higher energy conservation standards for new buildings will have little effect in the short term. An annual 1% replacement/growth of stock is far too slow to tackle the looming energy and environmental crisis. What is needed is the urgent upgrading of ...
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Opinion
Modern enough?
The V&A exhibition Modernism 1914-1939 has been acclaimed, and it was instructive to see the part played by the performing arts, designer clothing, and the pursuit of healthy living.
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Opinion
Soaring salaries
For a "small organisation" the salary of £100,000 for a chief executive seems rather large, working out at something like the annual registration fees for about 1,300 architects.
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Opinion
Royal scapegoat
I have a certain amount of sympathy for Greg McErlean of the Royal Parks Agency, (Letters April 13) which took most of the blame for the DCMS's own failures.
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Opinion
Correction
The photographs of Fat's New Islington project in last week's Works were taken by Edmund Sumner (not Edwin).
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OpinionFat's wake up call to the housing debate
It's pure coincidence, of course, that the completion of Fat's housing in East Manchester has coincided with Alain de Botton's attempt to rehabilitate the word "beauty" in architecture.
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OpinionThe prosperity myth is unsustainable
As we face up to climate change there is both good news and bad news. The good news is that in 25 years we will have a climate in London equivalent to that currently enjoyed in Paris and in 50 years Brighton will be a Mediterranean resort.
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OpinionIan Martin
Architects are great problem-solvers. That's one reason why clients love them so much. But architects can have problems of their own. Luckily, they know I am always here for them…
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Opinion
Design codes are here to stay
Alex Mowat wasted his opportunity for a vigorous rant about design codes (Soapbox April 7).
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Opinion
It's academic
As visiting professor at University of Strathclyde, I endorse the comments made by Alan Bridges (News April 21).
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OpinionModernise the shop
While the modernism exhibition at the V&A is wonderful, the contents of the shop are a disgrace. The range of books for sale is derisory.
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Opinion
Tory stories
Your profile of David Lammy complains that he has said very little about architecture. This does seem to be a lost opportunity, but better silence than Michael Gove's waffling piece (Soapbox April 21).