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The pandemic has underlined how broken the UK’s model for urban development is. [...]
It is hard to see now amid the depression and anger, but the pandemic did briefly show cities acting on the basis of general human need: rough sleepers being housed, mutual aid groups being set up, evictions being suspended. Yet the possibility of any long-term change is rapidly being lost.
— The Guardian
Tribune culture editor Owen Hatherly's new housing opinion piece for The Guardian. View full entry
Following the announcement of this year's Jane Drew Prize for Architecture and the Ada Louise Huxtable Prize the W Awards, formerly known as the Women in Architecture awards, announces its shortlist for the Moira Gemmill Prize and the MJ Long Prize. Recognizing the work and design... View full entry
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
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. View full entry
What will homes of the future look like? According to a recent UK housing competition, Home of 2030, selected winners have an idea. However, are these ideas all that new? The Guardian's Oliver Wainwright unpacks these winning design proposals and explains, "according to the winning architects... View full entry
If you've been hunting for a lovely abode inside a rusty shell wedged between a railway line and a scrap yard on a challenging plot in central London for under a million pounds, you're in luck. Designed by UK firm Undercurrent Architects, the 1,600-sqft Archway Studios property is actually an... View full entry
It has been a long time coming but a decision on whether east London will get a slice of Las Vegas in the form of a state-of-the art entertainment venue almost as tall as St Paul’s may be nigh. [...]
But the project, the brainchild of MSG’s chief executive, James Dolan [...] is proving divisive.
— The Guardian
The Guardian reports that the public consultation period for the enormous Madison Square Garden Sphere entertainment venue — officially filed for planning application in March 2019 — had to be extended for a third time until the beginning of December due to locals' concern over... View full entry
As health and safety protocols continue to increase globally, the 2020 Stirling Prize has been canceled and postponed to 2021. RIBA shares in a statement, "to maintain the consistency and rigor of our judging process, all RIBA Award-winning projects must be visited in person, therefore it is... View full entry
Plans for Fotografiska's gallery in London’s East End—billed as the world’s largest photography venue by the British Journal of Photography—has been quietly cancelled, with the founders citing Covid-19 and uncertainty around Brexit as the reasons for pulling out of the project.
The Stockholm-based photography hub Fotografiska was founded in 2010 by brothers Jan and Per Broman.
— The Art Newspaper
The ambitious proposal for a 89,000 sq ft Fotografiska London satellite first appeared on Archinect in 2017. View full entry
London-based architect Simon Allford has been elected as the new president of the Royal British Institute of Architects (RIBA). Allford is a founding principal of Allford Hall Monaghan Morris architects, winners of the 2015 Stirling Prize. According to RIBA, Allford won some 58% of the... View full entry
“How do you get into a school of architecture?,” I asked. “You need a portfolio of drawings,” I was told. So I started to create drawings and paintings – the architectural ones were copies of perspectives that I took from the plan chests after everyone left the office, and which I returned before they arrived in the morning. Other works, in gouache, were inspired by one of my hero artists, LS Lowry. — The Guardian
For The Guardian's Observer Design magazine, Norman Foster, now 85, recounts the early beginnings of his design career more than six decades ago: from leaving school at 16 through finding his first architecture employment at Manchester firm John E. Beardshaw and Partners to overcoming obstacles to... View full entry
London Mayor Sadiq Kahn has announced a new commission that will "review and improve diversity across London’s public realm to ensure the capital’s landmarks suitably reflect London’s achievements and diversity." A press release announcing the creation of the commission states: "The... View full entry
Work on the giant Battersea Power Station redevelopment site will not restart until the end of April at the earliest.
Construction was paused last week on the scheme where Mace and Sir Robert McAlpine are main contractors on phase two and three.
But an update from Battersea Power Station Development Company boss Simon Murphy has clarified the client’s position.
— Construction Enquirer
As COVID-19 health precautions are being tightened in the UK, London's in-progress Battersea Power Station megadevelopment also just extended its temporary site closure through the end of April. The delay impacts construction progress on the $11 billion project master-planned by Rafael... View full entry
“Stone,” says architect Amin Taha, “is the great forgotten material of our time. In 99% of cases, it’s cheaper and greener to use stone in a structural way, as opposed to concrete or steel, but we mostly just think of using it for cladding.” — The Guardian
Oliver Wainwright's takeaways from The New Stone Age, a current exhibition at the Building Centre in London. The "great forgotten material of our time" appears to be bracing for somewhat of a comeback with architects like Amin Taha of London-based practice GROUPWORK (also one of the exhibition's... View full entry
Amina Kaskar, Sumayya Vally, and Sarah de Villiers, who form the Johannesburg-based architectural studio Counterspace, have been commissioned to design the 2020 Serpentine Pavilion. All born in 1990, the trio are the youngest architects to design the Serpentine Gallery's iconic pavilion in its... View full entry
According to Architect's Journal (AJ), in a letter published in The Times, Norman Foster – writing as Lord Foster and president of the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust – said the ‘power of architecture’ should be used ‘to express our political and economic ambitions’. It comes in... View full entry
