More Opinion – Page 332
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Opinion
Vic labours on
Ever since Brad Pitt announced his intention to turn his hand to architecture and help his old mate Frank Gehry design Hove’s King Alfred development, it seems the stars can’t get enough of buildings. Comedian Vic Reeves is working as a labourer on a construction site for a new performing ...
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Opinion
Nude urbanism
And finally to gorgeous George Ferguson, just back from an edifying junket, I mean conference, on new urbanism, on the US west coast. We always knew the RIBA president had a penchant for this stuff, but we are sorry to report his head has been fully turned. “New urbanism rocks,” ...
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Opinion
Out of the Gutter
Website The Gutter, which describes its writing as “ill-mannered commentary on the architectural arts”, really doesn’t like Daniel Libeskind’s Hyundai HQ in Seoul. Describing the building as a monstrosity and an “ugly dog”, it also shows a lack of respect for the great architect himself.“We always thought Danny Libeskind was ...
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Opinion
Ian Martin
In order to save money, English Heritage bosses have stopped replacing retired workers with other retired workers
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Opinion
Walking a grey tightrope to inflexibility
You probably haven’t met Richard Hastilow. Let me introduce you. He is the chief executive of the RIBA, a bolt-upright former naval officer who doesn’t make a habit of shooting his mouth off unnecessarily. He also has the unenviable job, common to RIBA bosses, of playing politics with the Architects ...
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Opinion
Modern hero for the man on the street
The sense in which the modern movement in architecture can claim to be truly innovatory has been in dispute ever since the phrase itself, with all its political undertones, was invented.
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OpinionConcrete Boots
Chip off the block The rampant marketing campaign for Urban Splash and “super-famous” architect Will Alsop’s new apartments in the New Islington development in east Manchester continues apace. The apartments, called Chips because they look like, er, chips, are now for sale. The marketing campaign has attracted praise from none ...
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Opinion
Ian Martin
Asked what Le Corbusier is famous for, people seem to think it’s either stylish cookware or a saucy nightclub
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Opinion
Worthy of a medal only if the face fits
Julian Wykham’s suggestion that the RIBA Gold Medal committee “should be looking at Britain” for a worthy candidate (News June 10) is at the very least breath-takingly ignorant and implies that Joseph Rykwert, once a professor at Cambridge and Bath Universities, AA tutor and graduate, is less than deserving of ...
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Opinion
Language barrier
Your caption on French architect Jean Nouvel’s design for One New Change (News June 10) quotes him as saying “it will set up a dialogue with St Paul’s Cathedral and the neighbouring buildings”.
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Opinion
Acting on orders
In response to George Oldham (Letters June 10), unless an act is ambiguous what was said in a Parliamentary debate is irrelevant.
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Opinion
Doing our duty
In response to your story, “Winchester planners ‘failing in duty of care’” (News June 3), the council has a high reputation for the quality of its service.
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Opinion
Clear case for the crit
Putting aside the rather unsubstantiated view that the crit is a clear cause for the drop-out of women from architectural education (Campaign June 10), I get the impression that one of the main reasons for a school to have to limit the traditional crit is the problem of reviewing an ...
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Opinion
Peer pressure
The crit should be heralded as a central and vital part of the development of architectural ideas. If your work does not stand scrutiny by your peers, go and do something else.
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Opinion
A vital trauma
The tutors I feared the most during crits at Dundee University were all female, and what’s more, the female students in my year were more than capable of giving it right back to them.
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OpinionUncelebrated birthday boy
Norman Foster must have known that the Brits are rubbish at remembering birthdays. When his 70th came around earlier this month, he jetted out of the country to celebrate with his family in some warmer clime
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Opinion
Old school ties
If asked to picture a school, the chances are most people will think of a Victorian building: in urban and rural locations they so often have a place right at the heart of a community
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Opinion
Ian Martin
How can I introduce ‘comfort and humour’ into my boutique hotel? Two layers of carpet and a clown on reception