Archinect - News

Banksy's latest mural on abandoned UK farmhouse has been demolished

2023-03-17T14:13:00-04:00

Banksy had just put the finishing touches on his latest artwork on an abandoned farmhouse in in Kent, England, when shortly after completion, a construction crew demolished the building. Entitled Morning is Broken, the work featured a silhouetted cat and a boy with arms outstretched opening two dilapidated sheets of iron, which were shaped like curtains.

News of the demolition spread across media channels and social platforms like Instagram and Twitter. A report from The Guardian explained that the site, owned by Kitewood, was "earmarked for dozens of new homes" as demolition on the site began on Tuesday, March 14. When workers began demolishing the site, one contractor told the local press they felt "gutted" and "sick realizing it was a Banksy."

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This is the second Banksy piece demolished in Kent after another Valentine’s Day message on domestic violence was taken down and reinstalled at the popular town Dreamland theme park by the town council.

2022 RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist announced for UK’s best new building

2022-07-21T11:52:00-04:00

The shortlist has been announced for the 2022 RIBA Stirling Prize, awarded each year to the UK’s best new building. Six projects will be in contention for the award, which is now in its 26th edition. Among the projects vying for the award are a college in Scotland, a school in London, and a library in Cambridge.

“As we grapple with housing, energy and climate crises, these six projects give cause for optimism, each offering innovative solutions to the challenges of today and the future,” said RIBA President Simon Allford on the shortlist. “From major capital city regeneration programs to new visions for higher education, they all share the ambition to deliver generous architecture fit for a low-carbon future.”

The overall winner of the 2022 Stirling Prize will be revealed on October 13th. Below, we have compiled the six shortlisted projects, along with an extract of the jury citation for each.

100 Liverpool Street, London / Hopkins Architects

100 Liverpool Street, London / Hopkins...

Heatherwick Studio's new kinetic Glasshouse opens its petals to the English countryside

2022-06-28T12:14:00-04:00

Heatherwick Studio has unveiled a new small greenhouse project for the National Trust’s historic Woolbeding Gardens estate in West Sussex, England.

Taking the form of a sheltering flower bud, the structure comprises ten steel ‘sepals’ operated by a hydraulic mechanism that takes about four minutes to open. Its 141-square-meter (1,517-square-foot) interior contains a variety of subtropical Chinese flora and is surrounded by a new Silk Route Garden, which invites visitors on a 12-step journey through each of the trade corridor’s different geographic regions.

Image © Hufton+Crow

The studio says it was inspired by Victorian-era terrariums, and the structure took a total of six years to develop. The project was commissioned by the estate’s longtime owner, Stewart Grimshaw, who, along with his partner, Sainsbury’s heir Simon Sainsbury, had previously inaugurated sculptural interventions by William Pye and Philip Jebb into their sprawling 1,100-acre gardens, which former British Prime Mini...

Historic England objects to proposed monument at site of ancient Roman chariot-racing track in Colchester

2022-02-14T14:41:00-05:00

A proposed monument for a historic Army barracks could "harm" remains of an ancient Roman chariot racing track, Historic England said. The Roman Circus, a scheduled ancient monument in Colchester, Essex, shares a site with the Royal Artillery Barracks. An application has been submitted for a monument and two blue plaques to recognise the barracks as one of the earliest in the Colchester Garrison.

According to the Local Democracy Report Service, the Roman chariot-racing track is the only one of its kind in Britain and one of only six unearthed in northern Europe. Historic England, the public body that looks over England’s historic environment, does not believe the proposed commemorative monument would yield public benefit that outweighs the potential harm on the racing track.

Historic England has recommended a new location away from the ancient site be found for the monument. The applicant behind the monument was surprised by Historic England’s objection, noting that a block of residential units had been built near the site and was deemed acceptable.

Selasi Setufe awarded MBE for work in diversifying architecture

2022-01-07T14:28:00-05:00

31-year-old, London-based architect Selasi Setufe has been awarded a Member of the Orders of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to diversity in architecture in the Queen’s 2022 New Year’s Honors.

Setufe is currently a Senior Architect and Innovative Sites Program Manager at development and urban regeneration company Be First Regeneration Limited. In 2018, she co-founded the Black Females in Architecture (BFA) network, and is also a trustee and ex Co-Vice President for Students and Associates at the Royal Institute of British Architects. With BFA, Setufe has worked as the organization's membership manager, ensuring that its membership continues to grow and develop.

Setufe received her Bachelor’s degree in architecture at the University of Portsmouth and her Master’s at the Manchester School of Architecture. According to BFA’s profile on the architect, she is “exploring socially responsive approaches to design, architecture and placemaking with particular focus on cultural and...

2021 RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist unveiled for the UK's best new building

2021-09-16T11:52:00-04:00

The shortlist has been announced for the 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize, awarded each year to the UK’s best new building. Six buildings will be in contention for the award, which is now in its 25th edition. Among the projects vying for the award are a mosque in Cambridge, a bridge on the south coast of England, and a residential and office scheme in London with a distinctive limestone façade.

“The 2021 RIBA Stirling Prize shortlist demonstrates the innovation and ambition that lies at the heart of exceptional architecture,” said RIBA President Simon Allford on the shortlist’s unveiling. “As we navigate major global challenges, from a global pandemic to the climate emergency, this shortlist demonstrates the critical role that UK architects play in creating thoughtful and sustainable places and spaces.”

The overall winner of the 2021 Stirling Prize will be revealed on October 14th. Below, we have compiled the six shortlisted projects, along with an extract of the jury citation for each. ...

Archaeologists unearth 'lost' 8th-century monastery ruled by prominent Anglo-Saxon queen

2021-08-19T17:11:00-04:00

Archaeologists at the University of Reading and local volunteers have discovered a long-lost 8th-century Anglo-Saxon monastery in the historic village of Cookham in Berkshire, England. The finding provides unique insight into one of the most prominent women of the early middle ages and potentially her final resting place.

The location of the site has been a long-debated mystery until now. Written records indicate that it was once under the rule of Queen Cynethryth, the widow of the powerful King Offa of Mercia, one of the main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. She is the only Anglo-Saxon queen known to have been depicted on a coin.

Excavating the grounds of Holy Trinity Church, one of the rumored locations of the monastery, the team uncovered the remnants of timber buildings, which would have housed the inhabitants of the space. They also unearthed a collection of artifacts including food remains, pottery vessels used for cooking and eating, a delicate bronze bracelet, and a dress pin, presum...

Uncertain future for the brutalist buildings of northern England

2021-01-06T13:24:00-05:00

Some of the finest examples of brutalist architecture in the north of England are at risk of being torn down, according to a photographer who believes a crucial part of the country’s architectural history could be lost in the process. Simon Phipps [...] said that a mix of mismanagement and a general undervaluing of brutalism was leading to unnecessary demolition.

The Guardian has published a gallery of photographs by Simon Phipps who has been documenting northern England's concrete heritage for his new book Brutal North.

Architect creates detailed floor plans of Buckingham Palace

2020-04-29T12:57:00-04:00

In a pursuit to create the most accurate floor plan of Buckingham Palace available on the internet, HomeAdvisor embarked on a research project to scour every available photo and video of the palace interiors to uncover the layout of every room. Researchers then collected additional information from the Royal Collection Trust and the official website of the British royal family, before passing all of their findings to architect Jelena Popovic, who created the drawings shown below.

With 775 total rooms, the palace includes 19 staterooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms. However, many of the spaces within the palace still remain a mystery with many areas off-limits to everyone except palace staff.

The State Dining Room is located in the Central Block of the palace.

The research team tackled the challenge by dividing the palace into three sections: The Central Block, the Queen's Apartments, and the East Front. Upon entry of the Central Block,...

Hyde + Hyde-designed residence embraces Japanese culture

2020-02-04T17:18:00-05:00

This Hyde + Hyde-designed home takes inspiration from its residents' Japanese culture. Called Utsuroi House, the dwelling captures an appreciation for timeless architecture through balance and geometric symmetry. 'Utsuroi' is a Japanese spatial concept meaning "a gradual and inevitable change from one state to another." This work of architecture seeks to introduce a "conscious and orchestrates spatial sequence" that guides its inhabitants fluidly through the home.

Elevation.

Concept sketch.

Sitting atop a high hill on the outskirts of the city of Bath, England, panoramic views of the cascading hills of the country surround the dwelling. With efficiency and low environmental impact in mine, the home will be constructed from prefabricated timber.

Approach view.

Rear deck.

Concept sketch.

OMA / Ellen van Loon fuses science and sports in new Brighton College school building

2020-01-16T09:29:00-05:00

When OMA won the 2013 competition to design Brighton College's new School of Science and Sport in England, the Dutch firm had to create a scheme where two contrasting academic disciplines were interwoven into the same building, and in a way that encourages interaction among students. The building was officially inaugurated on January 9.

Photograph by Laurian Ghinitoiu, Courtesy of OMA.

Photograph by Killian O’Sullivan, © OMA

“We wanted to give Brighton College a building that continues to deliver more than strictly required, expanding the traditional definition of educational architecture,” OMA Partner Ellen van Loon said.

Reflective of the fact that learning takes place outside as much as it does inside a classroom, the new building merges the department of Science and the department of Sports into one linear volume. Athletic spaces are level with the adjacent outdoor playing field, while Science classrooms, labs, and a greenhouse span over the athletic spaces.

Photograph by Laurian...

ZHA’s Eco Park stadium in England is finally moving forward

2019-12-30T11:15:00-05:00

An all-timber football stadium designed for the Forest Green Rovers Football Club by Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) in 2016 has received local approval in Gloucestershire, England.

The all-wood stadium is designed to blend into the project’s rural site. Rendering courtesy of MIR / Zaha Hadid Architects.

The proposed stadium will anchor the new £100 million Eco Park development that will bring the 5,000-seat stadium, a community accessible football pitch, and a collection of offices and retail spaces to the area. The stadium component of the project is billed as the world’s first modern all-wood soccer stadium, while the project backers aim to make the development run entirely on sustainably generated energy.

A project statement on the ZHA website states, “The design retains and enhances the existing meadow landscape of the site whilst adding the stadium and other functions for the town. Embodying low carbon construction methods and operational processes, it will be the first all timber...

UK architects react negatively to conservative electoral victory

2019-12-13T14:09:00-05:00

Piers Taylor of Invisible Studio said the newly elected government: [...] "We are left now with our country in tatters, and no hope, no future and no sense that our government will ever be anything other than a horrendous concoction of idiotic, self-interested, self-serving and morally bankrupt half-wits. We deserved better: we had our chance, and we’ve blown it. Now for two decades or more of discontent."

Architects in the United Kingdom are not taking kindly to the electoral rout taken by the nation's liberal political parties in this week's election.

The conservative electoral victory guarantees that Brexit will finally come to pass; UK Architects have strongly opposed the measure, particularly due to the difficulties the change would bring both for UK architects working abroad and for the availability of international talent to work in the UK, among many other concerns.

London's muscular supermarket makes history

2019-07-26T14:29:00-04:00

History has been made in England, where the Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners-designed Sainsbury complex in London has become the country's first historically-recognized supermarket.

Sainsbury’s supermarket in London. Image courtesy of © Historic England DP251196

Built between 1986 and 1988, the muscular complex is designed in the High-Tech style of the time, a mode that combines technological advances in industrial materiality with the formal and structural clarity of Brutalism to create a particularly expressive variant of late modern architecture. The complex was developed by the Sainsbury grocery chain as a mixed-use project that matches a sizable supermarket with a group of row houses and apartments. Both buildings have been recognized as having Grade II significance, the country's third-highest level of significance.

The long, rectangular supermarket is articulated as a series of bays framed by massive structural steel members. The steel, coated in a fire-proof paint typically use...

A living breathing building: How biology and architecture will change construction and the built environment

2019-07-24T12:53:00-04:00

The institutions have been jointly awarded £8m from Research England’s Expanding Excellence in England fund to establish the world’s first research Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment (HBBE). It will lead to a whole new concept of the way we design and construct our buildings.

Maybe buildings of the future don't need to be AI filled structures face mapping our every move. Perhaps they need to be self-sustainable and responsive structures infused with a bit of biology. Architecture author, lecturer, and researcher Dr. Martyn Dade-Robertson shares new discoveries diving into these possibilities. Along with his colleagues at Newcastle and Northumbria Universities Dade-Robertson comments on his excitement towards the project in a recent university press release. "This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to create a new field of research. By bringing together architects, engineers, and bio-scientists, working with industry and investing in state-of-the-art facilities, we are aiming to rethink the building industry."

With the hopes to address changes and better construction practices, the team aims to create a brand new system of "Living Buildings." This collaboration of bio-scientists, architects, and engineers will open new doors for experimental biological...

RIBA joins international Climate Emergency Declaration

2019-07-03T14:50:00-04:00

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has agreed to join a global declaration acknowledging the existence of an environmental and climate emergency.

In recent months, New York City, the Vatican, the city of Vancouver, and the government of Ireland, among some 700 additional jurisdictions and governments, have joined the call for "an immediate emergency mobilization to restore a safe climate" around the world.

In a statement announcing the declaration, RIBA President Ben Derbyshire said, “The climate emergency is the biggest challenge facing our planet and our profession," adding, "The implementation of a five-year action plan we have committed to today will ensure we are able to benchmark change and evaluate the actions that make most impact.”

RIBA's announcement comes as the organization works to implement its Ethics and Sustainable Development Commission action plan, a framework that aims to support the United Nations's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The A...

The world's largest offshore wind farm is now operational in the Irish Sea

2018-09-06T15:43:00-04:00

The world’s biggest offshore windfarm has officially opened in the Irish Sea, amid warnings that Brexit could increase costs for future projects. Walney Extension, off the Cumbrian coast, spans an area the size of 20,000 football pitches and has a capacity of 659 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 590,000 homes. The project is a sign of how dramatically wind technology has progressed in the past five years since the previous biggest, the London Array, was finished.

The Walney Extension is made up of 87 turbines and has a total capacity of 659 MW, enough to power almost 600,000 homes in the UK. This makes it now the largest operational offshore wind farm, however with wind farm supersizing along the British coastline it may not hold the record for long.

A 714MW is set to be up and running in 2020, while Ørsted itself is planning 1,200MW and 1,800MW farms off the Yorkshire coast. Currently, offshore wind farms provide nearly a tenth of the UK's electricity.

First building awarded the Stirling Prize now slated for a primary school

2018-08-31T18:06:00-04:00

The first building to win the RIBA Stirling Prize – Hodder Associates’ Centenary Building for the University of Salford – could be converted into a new primary school. The plans for the currently empty 23-year-old building form part of 5plus Architects’ emerging 99ha development framework for the university’s existing campus and surrounding area.

Hodder + Partners's Centenary Building for the University of Salford was the first to be awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize back in 1996. Originally designed to be the School of Electrical Engineering, during construction plans changed for the building to house the Faculty of Art and Design Technology. Now, according to a consultation document, the structure is slated for reuse as an entry primary school.

The Complete University Guide ranks 10 best UK universities to study architecture

2018-08-07T12:53:00-04:00

Every year, a host of lists emerge ranking architecture schools around the world. For some, they serve as a useful guide to choosing where to pursue their studies. For others, the lists are subjective and have little real value.

The Complete University Guide, which ranks university courses according to graduate prospects, entry standards, research quality and student satisfaction, has just released its 2019 rankings for studies in architecture. You can check out the full list or rankings here.

Here, we list the top schools for studies in architecture, according to the Complete University Guide.

UK's second tallest tower's resemblance to a sex toy raises controversy

2017-09-28T13:56:00-04:00

Peaking at 236 metres high, One Lansdowne will be taller than any Canary Wharf tower block and only eclipsed by The Shard, which is 95 floors and 310 metres.

The British are notorious for giving funny nicknames to their buildings. The construction of the One Lansdowne has not yet started, but Londoners have already noticed the tower's resemblance to a Rampant Rabbit sex toy.

Platinum Rampant Rabbit Vibrator

Image CZWG Architects

The asymmetrical horse-shoe shaped complex is composed of two towers of 68 and 41 stories, linked by an 11-story podium. The towers will host affordable housing units, apartments, a hotel, a gym, commerces and office spaces. At 775 feet high, it would be the second tallest building in the UK.

Image CZWG Architects

Croydon approved the design but the plans need to be approved by the mayor of London before construction starts.

Image CZWG Architects

Kéré-designed Serpentine Pavilion extends opening due to popular demand

2017-09-25T13:42:00-04:00

Due to popular demand, the 2017 Serpentine Pavilion will now remain open for an additional six weeks, through November 19th. This year's installation was designed by Diébédo Francis Kéré and inspired by the community tree of his native Burkina Faso. The award-winning architect from Gando responded to this year's brief with a bold, innovative structure, engineered by AECOM, that brings his characteristic sense of light and life to the lawns of Kensington Gardens.

Central to the Kéré's design was the shift from day to night, in which the Pavilion becomes a beacon of light. AECOM worked closely with Kéré to envision the mood and ambience from multiple points of view to craft a subtle and inviting glow. The end result: daylight streams into and through the structure during the day, while at night artificial lights reverse the process, flowing out of the structure and inviting people to come and visit.

Amy Koerbel, the Regional Director at AECOM, commented: “This year’s program has been...

In order to avoid historic listing, developer destroys Jacobean ceiling

2017-09-01T14:19:00-04:00

In order to avoid being listed by Historic England, a developer recently demolished an ornate Jacobean pendant ceiling at one of their sites. Previously a hotel and bar, the owners, Midas Properties/G&E Baio Ltd, had a planning application to subdivide and convert the building into student flats that was currently under review.

The property—15 Small Street—is located in Bristol, a town best known for its examples of Georgian and Victorian architecture though having been a medieval and 17th-century city as well, there are fine examples of Jacobean works deserving of preservation. Bristol's Conservation Advisory Panel had applied last week for the building to become spot-listed.

Historic England was in the process of assessing the building, but had been unable to arrange access with the owners, who were also deferring scheduled site visits by Bristol City Council planning officers. In the interim, the developer was able to demolish the almost 400-year old ceiling.

Historic England d...

Cavalry 360° imitates forgotten sounds amidst quintessential English landscape

2017-08-26T04:00:00-04:00

Last month, Cavalry 360°, a vast site-specific musical instrument designed by NEON opened on the banks of the North Tyne, UK. The structure uses the force of 32 wind turbines to create an ever-changing sound of the cavalry moving across the landscape—horse’s hooves hitting the ground.

Arranged in a circular form to allow people to step into the work, Cavalry 360° measures 3.5 meters high and 12 meters across. In the setting of a quintessential English landscape, the work seeks to connect the visitor to the place's long history, manifested in the preserved walls of the Roman cavalry fort. The constantly altering in direction and rhythm sound is created by beaters, the number of which represents the 500 horse that used to inhabit the site.

Photography: Lightly Frozen / English Heritage / Anthony Chappel-Ross.

Kevin Booth, Senior Curator at English Heritage, noted, "It is designed to connect the viewer with the environment, to invite people to look through the work at the landscape bey...

Tiny, cartoonish homes by artist Richard Woods pop up in British seaside town

2017-08-25T15:12:00-04:00

For his latest project, Holiday Home – part of this year’s Folkestone Triennial (2 Sept to 5 Nov) – Woods has created six colorful bungalows, situated in unexpected locations around the town.

Richard Woods is known for his architectural installations that feature colorful, geometric patterns and playful decorative facades. For his latest project, the UK artist has installed six tiny, cartoon-like homes across the town of Folkestone.

In his interview with the Guardian, the artist explained the idea of the project came from visiting the seaside town and receiving a "strange leaflet saying, 'Have you thought about turning your property into cash?'" He goes on the explain, "the idea grew out of that: to make six identical bungalows and install some in very desirable locations, some not, but keeping it very open-ended."

A petition to scrap design for Iron Ring sculpture causes the Welsh government to pause the proposed plan

2017-07-26T18:33:00-04:00

Last week, we covered the newly released designs for a landmark sculpture that would be built at Flint Castle in Wales. The sculpture, designed by George King Architects, was to be a cantilevered bridge structure made of weathering steel and engraved with words chosen from the local community. At first, the design seemed as innocuous as any—turns out, not so much.

The news of the selected design has sparked a lot of controversy and a petition calling for the sculpture to be scrapped has received over 9,000 signatures. The design and name of the sculpture reference the series of castles, built by Edward I, that allowed him to conquer the then, independent Wales. Many are upset, rightfully so, that what should be a celebration of Wales and Welsh culture, has turned into a celebration of its conquest and subsequent oppression by England. In response, the county of Flint has urged the Welsh Government, who ran the contest, to talk with the town before any further action is taken in rega...

This Man Designed an AI to Generate British Placenames

2017-07-21T12:21:00-04:00

As any American who tuned into the last British election realized, UK placenames are a bit out there (at least to American ears, that is), from Droop in Dorset to Westward Ho! in Devon. So Dan Ho decided to train a (quirky) AI to generate its own.

Here are some of the ones the computer crafted:

Ospley
Stoke Carrston
Elfordbion
Hevermilley
Ell
Elle’s Chorels
Capton Briins Forehouint Eftte Green
Waryburn Torner Midlwood
Wasts Halkstack
Kinindworthorpe Marmile
Dompton Ole
Dimmer Common
Pairinggleat
Catley Holtbridgeham Ruse
Colon-in Mead

Check out the full list, as well as how he did it, here.

Sir David Adjaye + Sadie Morgan join London Mayor Sadiq Khan's "Good Growth by Design"

2017-07-11T12:44:00-04:00

London needs to provide space for 46,000 new jobs and build 50,000 new homes a year just to keep up with demand, as well as build the social infrastructure to support both. Good Growth will enable this, leaving a legacy of world-class buildings, outstanding public realm and large-scale regeneration for Londoners of the future.

Exhibiting both farsightedness and excellent aesthetic taste, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has created a program specifically meant to help anticipate and solve London's growth (experts estimate the city will soon have a population of 10 million). The "Good Growth by Design" program will have an advisory panel of 50 design advisors, including Sir David Adjaye and Sadie Morgan.

London. Image: Juan Cabanillas via Flickr

As the mayor explained in a statement, “London is facing unprecedented population growth and with that comes challenging work, but also amazing opportunities to deliver a city that is socially integrated, sustainable, healthier, safer and with a world class public realm. We must embrace London’s rapid growth with both hands and take this chance to use good architecture and planning to make a real difference to the lives of Londoners. And this is a chance to learn from past mistakes, some of which are still dotted across our city, and blight the lives of the communities that...

The Guardian reports on the social housing crisis in the UK

2017-06-26T14:34:00-04:00

Now, although the horror is still raw and much about it is still unknown, it has also become clear that Grenfell exposes in the harshest possible way questions of the current state of social housing, about the accessibility, affordability and quality of homes, and their impact on people’s lives.

The Guardian's feature examines the new documentary Dispossession: The New Housing Swindle which addresses the build up anger surrounding the issue of affordable housing and the failed attempts at combatting it, including Margaret Thatcher's right-to-buy policy and the effects of the 60s and 70s estates renewal. Beyond that, the article also offers recent examples of demolition, displacement through opinions of people that have experienced it firsthand–former residents of social or council housing.

"No honest portrayal of the current situation can ignore the fact that the last time government was a major builder of homes it didn’t get it all right. But, as it is now blindingly obvious that the market is not going to provide by itself, active building and planning by the public sector looks inevitable. There are ways to achieve new and affordable homes – by densifying suburbs, encouraging garden cities and, indeed, by renewing council estates – but none of them are easy. The invisib...

Meet the world's leading maze designer, Adrian Fisher

2017-06-05T15:07:00-04:00

Adrian Fisher is the world's leading maze designer, having created more than 700 mazes across 32 countries since 1979. "I really do love my job," says the 65-year-old. "It's like I'm a big kid, and creating things that people can play in all day long - who wouldn't want to do that?"

For 38 years, Adrian Fisher has been designing mazes from his southwest England-based studio. From classical hedges, to carnival mirrors with special effects, Fisher works with a variety of forms and in a variety of scales. His road to becoming the world's leading maze designer was unexpected. He began his career as an accountant while designing mazes as a hobby on the side. When he was 27, Lady Elizabeth Brunner wanted a maze built at her home and Fisher landed the gig. He now employs four permanent staff and typically works with 15 additional specialists, from animators to builders, at any given time.

"The new real-estate concept of ethnic cleansing" gets investigated

2017-04-04T17:58:00-04:00

It is true that the developers of Europe’s largest regeneration project don’t appear to do ordinary. But they don’t seem to do many black people either...Speak to any property-marketing agency and they will tell you their east-Asian clients are buying a piece of England, which – for them – means blond-haired, blue-eyed Burberry models.

In a particularly taut and enjoyable piece for the Guardian, Oliver Wainwright investigates the questionable marketing tactics behind a starchitect-studded project in England that is catering mainly to East Asian buyers, among several other structures being sold primarily to off-shore clients. Are the ethics of the profession being comprised to make some cold hard cash? As Wainright notes:

In the computer-generated visions emblazoned across the site hoardings, the bustling cafe-lined streets are inhabited by an almost entirely monocultural society of white thirtysomethings. Women with long blond hair and shopping bags, occasionally accessorised with prams, fill the foreground of a scene drenched with that scorching Miami sunshine so familiar to this part of Britain’s capital. “New exciting concept coming soon,” coos another billboard over a vacant shopfront where this tableau is intended to unfold. The new real-estate concept of ethnic cleansing.