Archinect - News

David Marks, architect behind London Eye, passes away at age 64

2017-10-09T16:51:00-04:00

David Marks, who suffered a long battle with cancer, passed away Friday morning at the age of 64. The Jewish architect was the innovative visionary behind fanciful projects such as the London Eye, the British Airways i360 observation tower, the Treetop Walkway at Kew Gardens, and the University of Cambridge Primary School among others.

British Airways i360 at Brighton. Image courtesy of 2017 Structural Awards

Born in Stockholm in 1952, Marks grew up in Geneva and moved to London in 1972 to attend the Architectural Association School (AA). There he met Julia Barfield, whom he married in 1981. Following a stint working for Richard Rogers, the couple formed their own practice—Marks Barfield Architects—in 1989.

London Eye. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Marks was known for his entrepreneurial spirit. After winning a competition entry that came to nothing for his and Barfield's Ferris Wheel design, the two famously remortgaged their home and spent six patient years gathering support...

Designers of the London Eye create new landmark for Brighton

2016-07-11T14:22:00-04:00

Marks Barfield Architects have, quite literally, reinvented the wheel and have created the i360, a vertical cable car with a sculpted viewing pod, perching lightly upon Brighton’s seafront... It takes the form of a slender mast that will be 568ft high (when the spire is added), which supports a sculpted, doughnut-shaped pod, with glass windows and a reflective mirrored underside. The pod takes up to 200 people at a time skyward over a flight time of 20 (daytime) or 30 minutes (evening).

Due to open this summer, the British Airways i360 is a new futuristic landmark for Brighton’s seafront designed by architects David Marks and Julia Barfield. It is hoped that the BA i360 will herald a new touristic golden age for Brighton, replicating the success of the London eye on Brighton’s seafront. The i360 will be possibly be advertised on British Airways flights to the UK, in an international revival of Brighton's ambitions. Inclusive of the immediate community, there will be half price tickets for Brighton residents and free entry for state school children in Brighton and Hove once in their school career. There is also to be a restaurant at the base of the tower, and the restoration of a pair of original building on the West Pier.

The BA i360 June 2016 - Image courtesy of British Airways i360/Kevin Meredith

In juxtaposition to the i360 tower, the Grade I listed West Pier is situated adjacent. The condemned structure is a skeleton from the golden age of domestic holidaying. Th...

London Crystal Palace shortlist boasts six of the UK’s top architects

2014-02-26T20:27:00-05:00

London's iconic Crystal Palace just moved one step closer to its magnificent resurrection with the announcement of six shortlisted design teams, all vying to rebuild The Crystal Palace and the surrounding public park as a major landmark.

The list of selected architects to move on to the next competition stage reads like a who's who in British architecture:

David Chipperfield Architects
Grimshaw
Haworth Tompkins Architects
Marks Barfield Architects
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Zaha Hadid Architects with Anish Kapoor