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hkmokwete
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 8:07 am Post subject: Stirling Prize Winner: Am I the only one who dissagrees |
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Hi every one. About a month ago, the new RE SWISS tower in london won the RIBA STIRLING PRIZE in the UK.
chech out: http://www.architecture.com/go/Architecture/Also/Awards
I watched all the nominies and still can't come to terms with the unanimous decision reached by the judges. I don't personally dislike Lord Forsters work, infact I feel that his school which was nominated stood a better chance of really making an impact on real peoples lives, hence it deserved to win.
I just can't believe I am the only one out there disagreeing. What did everyone else think of the award? I hope we can engage in a disscusion, maybe I might see the other side of the storey.
Thanks in advance. |
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Richard Haut
millennium club
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 1198
Location: Nice, France
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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the others (from Jonathan Glancey's article in the Guardian of 18th. October) were:
"the Business Academy, Bexley (also designed by Foster and Partners), where exam results and attendance rates have skyrocketed since pupils moved in; the Phoenix Initiative, Coventry (MacCormac Jamieson Prichard): the Imperial War Museum North by Studio Daniel Libeskind; the Spire, Dublin (Ian Ritchie Architects), on the site of the former Nelson's Monument in O'Connell Street blown up by the IRA in 1966; and the Kunsthaus in Graz, Austria (Peter Cook and Colin Fournier), a curious, blue, sea cucumber-like public art gallery."
The prize is awarded to "the architects of the building which has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year" (by a British architect, and the building can be anywhere in the EU).
OK you disagree with the decision (and it was apparently a unanimous decision), but is it that you don't think that Swiss Re is good enough, or that another building is so much better ?
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Richard Haut has worked with the architectural profession for over 25 years and produces the weekly Richard Haut's Competitions, which has given architects details of many thousands of projects for which they can apply across Britain and Europe. |
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hkmokwete
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:01 am Post subject: |
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Like you rigthly said, The prize is awarded to "the architects of the building which has made the greatest contribution to British architecture in the past year" (by a British architect, and the building can be anywhere in the EU). As a piece of architecture, and a masterly finished structure it is easy to see why anyone would want the 'Gherkin' to have won the prize. It is the new 'icon' of the city. But is that only enough to win? I mean apart from being there to be seen by the odinary londoneers, it hardly contributes to their daily lives. For a start most of the people would never have any chance to actually see or feel what this great 'architecture' is like inside(unless if you can afford to line up for 4 hours in one day in a year to get a chance). That I don't feel its a significant contribution to the people, it might be a contribution to British architecture, but what is architecture without the appreciation of the people? I think the Swiss RE is just a typical example of how wealthy cooperative organizations still occupy and get best of our city spaces for their own pleasure and we award them prizes which actually help to market themselves.
According to me the real winners were all the other projects which had a really agenda or themes to address and made 'real' impact to the lives of those people who use those buildings. Like you said, there was the the Business Academy, Bexley(by Lord Foster Himself) which I think has produced results which you can measure, the Kunsthaus in Graz, Austria (Peter Cook and Colin Fournier) is also another example of a winner according to me, I mean all the other entries had better contribution to british architecture other than the Swiss Re. |
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Richard Haut
millennium club
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 1198
Location: Nice, France
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 3:58 am Post subject: |
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Fair point. The gherkin is undoubtedly a good building but what does it really contribute to British architecture.
It contributes another office building.
When the now gone firm of Chamberlin Powell and Bon set up, they wrote an "ethos" of what the practice was being established to do. They did not want to design offices because they were of no social value. They were right when that was written in the 1940's and it still holds true today.
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Richard Haut has worked with the architectural profession for over 25 years and produces the weekly Richard Haut's Competitions, which has given architects details of many thousands of projects for which they can apply across Britain and Europe. |
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hkmokwete
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 4
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 4:17 am Post subject: |
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| In the wake of 'september the 11', I think a lot should have been learnt about just how building values are woven into the complex issues of social status of a community. The 'ethos' of any office building owners should not only be for them and their employees because in the end what happens of the buildings affects everyone in the community. I personally do not have a problem with cooperatives building the best spaces for themselves and their employees, but what ever happened to giving back to community? All that is needed was just a smallish public space in the bulding just as a token of appreciation to the 'london' community for tolerating their building in one of the best spaces in London. That is not asking too much. |
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