From the October issue of Apollo: preview and subscribe here The human race is, and always has been, ruin-minded,’ wrote Rose Macaulay in Pleasure of Ruins (1953). Ruins can evoke feelings of awe, of melancholy, of outrage. The English have long taken pleasure in the picturesque ivy-clad ruins of the monastic buildings despoiled by Henry […] More
London has seen its fair share of strange development projects over the years. In recent months, Anish Kapoor finally confirmed what we all suspected about the Orbit structure at the Olympic Park – that it is really an oversized Helter Skelter – and the judges of this year’s Carbuncle Cup awarded architecture’s least coveted prize to the Walkie Talkie, the only office […] More
The UK’s architectural heritage is rich, varied, and widely celebrated. Historic buildings of all types – from churches and cathedrals, to local pubs, housing estates, tube stations and industrial buildings – have their champions, and many are listed to protect them from unsympathetic development, destruction or neglect. But every year some extraordinary buildings are lost to the public, too… Source More
Much has been said and written about Robin Hood Gardens, and the latest news – that a review of the decision not to list the buildings was declined – will ignite more discussion yet. However, debates around the estate’s perceived architectural successes and social failures have often focused only on the buildings – on the […] More
Robin Hood Gardens, a post-war housing estate in east London, looks set for demolition despite a vocal public campaign to save it. Heritage minister Tracey Crouch confirmed on Tuesday – in line with Historic England’s recommendations – that the building would not be listed. She also granted a certificate of immunity that prevents it being considered for government […] More
Pubs are necessary as well as enjoyable. Many are landmarks, often standing prominently at street corners and sometimes proudly surviving when all else around was swept away. Railway and underground stations – and thus whole districts of London – sometimes take their names: the Angel, Royal Oak, the Elephant and Castle, while Norwood Junction began […] More
From the July/August issue of Apollo: preview and subscribe here Industry never came, but houses and neighbourhoods were destroyed I was born in Calcutta, but we moved from that city to Bombay in early 1964. The company my father worked for had relocated its head office in the face of growing labour unrest; the move […] More
The French architecture firm Moreau Kusunoki Architects has won the competition to design the Guggenheim Helsinki, seeing off five other finalists from a total of 1715 original submissions. The firm’s design, which sets out a series of nine low pavilions around a squat lighthouse-like tower of charred timber, was praised by the jury as a place […] More
