Architects Journal
March 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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‘The plan’s the thing’
As planning today becomes an ever-more protracted process, Alex Ely takes a personal look at a book featuring some old-fashioned, even unfashionable, designs -
‘The true spirit of the Bauhaus’
A new book uses personal insights to lay bare the quirky personalities of six key Bauhaus figures, but which six? By Andrew Mead -
5plus wins permission for Trafford town hall revamp
[First look] Manchester-based HKR offshoot 5plus has won planning permission for the £22 million overhaul of Trafford town hall -
Launching the Poundbury Roadshow, and sharing the Olympic legacy with a rebranded London
Ian Martin brings Pop-Up Poundbury to a greenfield site near you -
Lunch, subterfuge, special glasses and the tyranny of a multi-dimensional world
Ian Martin reaches for the 2-D specs -
New Practices #61: AIR
The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone, either through choice or redundancy -
New Practices #62: I V Levens
The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone, either through choice or redundancy -
New Practices: #63 Denizen Works
The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone, either through choice or redundancy -
Roundtable: renewal and retrofit
A debate on the renewal and retrofit market was the focus of a lunch hosted by the AJ in association with Austin-Smith:Lord -
The RIBA report got it wrong – of course there is a future for architects
Paul Finch’s letter from London: The profession will survive if it focuses on client requirements -
750,000 homes shortfall by 2025
The gap between housing supply and demand in England could reach 750,000 by 2025, according to government projections -
A broader view of practice
Three young designers with architectural backgrounds – and very different approaches – prompt the question: what next for architectural practice? writes James Pallister -
AJ Buildings Library: Editor’s Pick, 30.03.11
This week in the AJ Buildings Library: A Norman Foster classic, James Stirling at the University of Leicester and dozens of projects completed for less than £250,000 -
AJ Buildings Library: Milton Keynes Shopping Centre (1979)
Each week a selection of exemplar projects from the twentieth century are added to the AJ Buildings Library -
AKT buy-out bucks merger trend
After six years with global giant White Young Green (WYG), star engineer Adams Kara Taylor (AKT) has completed a shock management buy-out -
Ancient buildings under threat from cuts, warns SPAB
Hundreds of historic buildings from Victorian libraries to windmills could be at risk as councils sell them off to cope with budget cuts, heritage experts have warned -
ARB punishes architect over late payment
An architect based in north London has been found guilty of professional misconduct after a late payment to a structural engineer -
Architects flee Bahrain turmoil
Architects working in Bahrain have been advised to escape the country as tanks arrived on the streets of the capital city Manama -
Architects growing more confident, says RIBA survey
Architects are becoming increasingly confident about future workloads according to the latest RIBA Future Trends survey -
Architects in Japan react to tsunami
Architects in Japan have told the AJ how buildings which managed to survive last Friday’s (11 March) earthquake were simply swept away or gutted by the following tsunami. -
Architects should welcome this enterprising budget
Paul Finch’s letter from London: Last week’s Budget was invigorating, and the revival of Enterprise Zones may have a mini-Olympic effect -
Architects' sketchbooks: The winning sketches
The AJ challenged readers to submit sketches of their own to win copies of Architects’ Sketchbooks -
Architects win work at MIPIM
Along with making new contacts and renewing old relationships, practices report leaving MIPIM 2011 with genuine offers of work -
Architecture centres dealt arts cut blow
Architecture centres are among a string of cultural bodies reeling from the withdrawal of Arts Council funding this week -
Artists threaten to boycott Gehry's Guggenheim
The Frank Gehry-designed Abu Dhabi Guggenheim Museum currently under construction is to be boycotted by a group of more than 130 international artists and writers if the rights of workers on the site are not addressed -
Associated Architects submits UCB plans
[First look + plans] Associated Architects have submitted a planning application for a new University College Birmingham building in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter -
BDP bags Strathclyde Innovation Centre job
[First look] BDP has won a design competition to build an £89 million Technology and Innovation Centre for the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow -
BDP completes University of Wales Newport campus
[First look + project data + plans] BDP has completed this £25.2 million City Campus building for the University of Wales in Newport -
BDP launches Joanna Yeates cycle ride
BDP has organised a sponsored cycle ride in memory of murdered Bristol landscape architect Joanna Yeates -
Best practice: How to sell yourself
Mary Duggan & Joe Morris on how a sound brand and marketing strategy is key to winning work -
Boyes Rees chairwoman wins Welsh property award
Jane Boyes, the chairwoman and managing director of Boyes Rees Architects in Cardiff has landed the top accolade at the 2011 Welsh Women Mean Business Awards -
Brighton Council's in-house team completes playgroup 'pavilion'
[First look + plans] Work has finished on this new £650,000 playgroup building in Hollingbury Park, Brighton -
Broadway Malyan reveals new Chinese theatre plans
[First look] Broadway Malyan has unveiled its plans for the new Kanas Lake Performance Theatre - the practice’s first auditorium project in China -
Broadway Malyan unwraps Southampton Police HQ
[First look + plans + project data] Broadway Malyan has completed this £30 million, eight-storey new police headquarters in Southampton -
Budget 2011: £250 million shared-equity mortgages boost to house building
The government will make £250 million available in shared-equity mortgages for people wishing to buy newly built homes, creating up to 40,000 construction industry jobs -
Budget 2011: bureaucracy cut on office to home conversions
This week’s Budget is expected to contain measures to cut through planning red tape to make it easier for empty office blocks to be converted into homes -
Budget 2011: Chancellor announces ‘radical’ planning reforms
Chancellor George Osborne has revealed a raft of planning reforms aimed at removing what he claimed has been a ‘chronic obstacle’ to UK growth -
Budget 2011: Green Bank to receive £3 billion
A proposed green investment bank to support low-carbon development will benefit from £3 billion in public funding - but will not be able to borrow until 2015 -
Budget 2011: Planning reform to bring ‘surge’ in work
Architects could benefit from a ‘multi-million pound surge’ in new projects following the government’s decision to scrap planning requirements for office-to-housing conversions -
Budget 2011: RIBA welcomes planning reform
RIBA president Ruth Reed has welcomed the government’s decision to streamline the planning system and create new ‘enterprise zones’ -
Budget 2011: Royal Docks to become London ‘enterprise zone’
The Royal Docks in east London was revealed as the future site for one of the country’s largest ‘enterprise zone’ following today’s budget announcement -
Budget 2011: Tax reliefs unveiled as Osborne bangs drum for 'Designed in Britain'
Chancellor George Osborne today unveiled an ‘urgent call to action’ budget aimed at ‘encouraging enterprise’ in the UK -
Budget 2011: The Chancellor's speech in full
Chancellor of the exchequer George Osborne today unveiled the coalition government’s 2011 budget -
CABE design review service to be re-examined
A ‘root and branch’ review into the future of a key remit of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) has been launched -
Cardigan Castle restoration
Cadwgan Building Preservation Trust is on the hunt for specialist consultants to renovate Cardigan Castle in Wales -
Chetwoods bags planning for Lichfield scheme
[First look + plans + project data] Chetwoods Architects Leeds has won planning permission for this £14 million hotel and apartments scheme at Friary Outer in Lichfield -
Chinese police investigate Ai Weiwei for 'economic crimes'
Architects have threatened a boycott on China projects following artist Ai Weiwei’s incarceration for ‘economic crimes’ -
Chipperfield wins Mies van der Rohe Award for Neues
David Chipperfield’s Neues Museum in Berlin has won the prestigious 2011 Mies van der Rohe Award -
Colerne Primary School dining rooms, Colerne, Somerset, by Mitchell Taylor Workshop
Mitchell Taylor Workshop’s dining hall in Colerne Primary School is a lesson in Localism and community engagement, writes Peter Clegg. Photography by Peter Cook -
Competitions: Editor's pick, 07.04.11
An ideas contest to design an Olympic Games Information Pavilion, a floating stage for the Miami Marine Stadium and a competition to generate ideas for Indianapolis’ Monument Circle; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 17.03.11
Repair a Stirling structure, master plan for the Plymouth College of Art, and participate in an ideas competition to find future uses for architects’ skills; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 24.03.11
City Garden design competition in Aberdeen, KPF/AF Student Travel Award, and a call for entries for the Open-City exhibition; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 31.03.11
A high-speed rail-themed ideas competition, a design contest on the Parramatta River in Australia and deadlines extended for Forgotten Spaces London and Sheffield; the editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Conference: Maximising the Opportunities of a Sustainably Built Future
The AJ has complimentary passes for the conference Investing in Sustainability: Maximising the Opportunities of a Sustainably Built Future, to be held at the Barbican Centre on Thursday, 26th May 2011 -
Council planners face redundancy as protesters march on London
Up to 31 planning staff at Westminster Council have learned they could lose their jobs as more than 250,000 protesters demonstrated against spending cuts in the capital at the weekend -
CPD: Unlocking the Potential of Porcelain Tile
The full title of this CPD is ‘Unlocking the Potential of Porcelain Tile: Decorative Solutions for High Pedestrian Slip Traffic Areas.’ It aims to look closely at the benefits of porcelain tiles and examine their suitability for use in high traffic areas -
Cubist cartography
Sohei Nishino’s city maps composed of thousands of photographs reveal an exciting technique, writes Marko Jobst -
Curtains up for Studio Weave's floating cinema
Hackney’s Studio Weave has revealed these images of its proposed floating cinema which will navigate the waterways of the five Olympic host boroughs this summer -
Drawing with Dunlop – the forgotten art of sketching?
[Video] Watch Alan Dunlop pen an accurate hand-drawn view of the Clyde Waterfront, from memory, in just over three minutes -
Eco charity resigns over new homes rules
Environmental charity WWF-UK has resigned from a Government taskforce to make homes “zero-carbon” after ministers watered down the rules on making houses greener -
Edge City, Glasgow
Scottish architecture charity Skirmishes has created an open design competition seeking ‘new urbanism’ concepts for a 9.3 hectares site on the edge of Glasgow. -
Eduardo Souto de Moura wins Pritzker Prize
Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura has won this year’s Pritzker Prize -
Fabricate conference at UCL: subscriber discount
The Bartlett will host an international symposium on digital design this April, with keynote speakers including Matthias Kohler, Neri Oxman, Philip Beesley & Mark Burry -
Facade detail: Queens Court, Milton Keynes, by Allies and Morrison
[Working detail 24.03.11] Conservation was a key concern on this retrofit project -
Facade detail: W London Hotel, Soho by Jestico + Whiles
[Working detail 24.03.11] Twin-wall facade for central London hotel -
Farrell unveils latest Earls Court masterplan images
[First look] Terry Farrell & Partners has released these new images of its 28-hectare masterplan for the huge redevelopment of Earls Court in west London -
Fast-track Admaster ideal for Grand Arcade, Cambridge
Over 4,000 sqm of Admaster Composite Support System panels with an 80mm thick LPCB-approved PIR (polyisocyanurate) insulation core were specified by Chapman Taylor Architects for the low pitched roof and upper floor wall areas of the impressive new Grand Arcade retail centre in Cambridge. Bovis Lend Lease was the main contractor and T. R. Freeman Ltd installed the Admaster CSS panels, finishing them all with a Rheinzink 0.7mm pre-weathered raised seam zinc outer sheet. -
Floating Stage for Miami Marine Stadium
A competition has been launched to design a floating stage for the Miami Marine Stadium -
Footprint: Time to fast-track our thinking on landscape
When it comes to cities, sometimes we can’t see the forest for the urban trees, says Bill Gething -
Forbo Flooring Systems - The DNA collection – As individual as you are
Forbo Flooring Systems has launched the DNA carpet tile collection, the result of its latest collaboration with Design Studio Sottsass Associati of Milan. Conceived to deliver the blueprints of life underfoot, this innovative floor covering range breaks down the boundaries of traditionalcarpet tiling giving creative specifiers the freedom to blend, fuse and create spaces withindividual characteristics. -
Forgotten Spaces London and Sheffield deadlines extended
RIBA London has announced plans to extending the registration deadline for the London and Sheffield Forgotten Spaces ideas competition -
Formroom submits Manchester hotel plans
[First look] Formroom Architects has submitted a planning application for this new ‘boutique’ hotel in Manchester -
Foster finishes first buildings in Africa
[First look + plans] Foster + Partners has completed its first buildings in Africa – the Banque Marocaine du Commerce Exterieur’s (BMCE) regional headquarters in Rabat and Casablanca -
Foster Lomas to design artists’ residency in rural Italy
[First look + plans] London’s Foster Lomas has submitted plans for the first phase of a new artist residency on an organic farm in the Abruzzo region, east of Rome, Italy -
Foster wins planning for revised Bishops Place scheme
[First look] Foster + Partners has secured planning permission for its revised plans for a £500 million mixed-use project in Bishopsgate, east London -
Frame detail: Colerne Primary School dining rooms, Colerne, Somerset, by Mitchell Taylor Workshop
[Working detail 31.03.11] The project was driven by the need to find a low-cost timber structural system to span nine metres -
From the archives: The Briggait, Glasgow by Assist Architects, 1986
[ARCHIVE] Edwin Johnston provides the background, Nicholas Falk reports on the financial issues, while Hugh Anderson appraises the concept and execution of the Briggait -
GKD - Glittering façade for the Torre Europa
The Torre Europa skyscraper shines resplendently on the Plaza Europa very close to the heart of Barcelona. The building is located in an extensive park area with office, shopping and residential areas and offers a unique view over this major Spanish city. -
Glazing detail: The Briggait, Glasgow, by Nicholl Russell Studios
[Working detail 30.3.11] Glazed screens to atrium studios -
Government could drop s106 sweeteners
Planning agreements between councils and developers that tie building firms into pumping cash into the local community may be scrapped in order get activity in the sector back on track, the Government has said -
Government to release £10bn of public land for houses
Enough land to build 100,000 new homes will be sold off by the public sector under plans to be announced by housing minister Grant Shapps tomorrow -
Greg Clark: Architects key to Localism
Localism minister Greg Clark says architects are ‘crucial’ for Britain’s sustainable future, and explains Gove’s ‘anti-architect’ BSF remarks -
Hadid reveals Elk Grove Civic Centre concept
Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled its contentious ‘conceptual proposals’ for a new Civic Centre in the City of Elk Grove, California, a fast-growing suburb of Sacramento -
Harry Rich hits back - but fails to deny Ruth Reed ousting bid
The RIBA’s chief executive Harry Rich has written a strongly worded letter in response to allegations made last week in an article about a failed bid by institute president Ruth Reed to oust him -
Haver & Boecker - A Car Park that does not look like a Car Park
“The focus was on functionality, safety, compatibility with the existing Chesapeake Energy campus architecture, and reinvention of the typical parking garage image while making it fun for the daily users of this garage.“ (Elliott + Associates Architects) -
HHR wins planning for Lambeth Accord scheme
Henley Halebrown Rorrison (HHbR) has bagged planning permission for its competition-winning Lambeth Accord scheme, at 336 Brixton Road, south London -
HLP completes Liverpool University education faculty
[First look + plans + project data] Halsall Lloyd Partnership has taken the wraps off its £8 million ‘EdEn’ department building for Liverpool Hope University -
How we can give dignity to death
You agree that we need to design better ‘rooms for dying in’. What comes next? writes Christine Murray -
In pictures: Orbit tower rises over Olympic Park
These are the latest images showing the construction of Anish Kapoor’s 115 metre-tall ArcelorMittal Orbit tower on the Olympic Park in east London -
Japan disaster: Architects needed for ‘measured’ response
Architects could spearhead a ‘sophisticated’ response to upheaval in Japan by designing for earthquake and tsunami-resistant settlements, according to disaster aid charity Article 25 -
Kyson plans sunken house in Camden
[First look] Kyson has submitted this partially subterranean house for planning in the Fitzjohns Netherhall conservation area in Camden, north London -
LDS and ABA bag planning for South Kilburn masterplan
[First look] Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands (LDS) and Alison Brooks Architects (ABA) have won planning permission for this 2.09 hectare masterplan in South Kilburn, London -
Life at the Speed of Rail
The Van Alen Institute in New York is receiving entries to ‘Life at the Speed of Rail’ a design competition exploring the cultural, environmental, and economic impact of a potential new rail network in the United States -
Listing boosts Saltdean lido survival chances
The listing status of Brighton’s Saltdean Lido has been upgraded by architecture minister John Penrose from Grade II to Grade II* -
Lyall's Chatham waterfront scheme gets green light
John Lyall Architects has received planning permission for this £25 million mixed-use regeneration scheme on the Chatham waterfront, in Kent -
Maidstone Museum & Bentlif Art Gallery Easy Wing by Hugh Broughton Architects
[Plans + project data] Maidstone Museum, owned and operated by Maidstone Borough Council, opened in 1858, is one of England’s earliest town museums. The Grade II*-listed building, of Tudor origin, has been extended several times and much of the present structure is Victorian. -
Make completes its first hotel
[First look + plans] Ken Shuttleworth’s practice Make has finished its first hotel project - the Montpellier Chapter in Cheltenham -
Masterplan for Plymouth College of Art
Plymouth College of Art is seeking a masterplanner and a strategic architect to advise on the initial design for Phase One and ongoing architectural advice and design services to operate on an as ‘as required’ basis over a four-year period -
Mather victorious in RIBA's Worcester College Oxford contest
Rick Mather Architects has seen off an impressive shortlist to win the RIBA Competition to design a new lecture theatre and kitchens for Worcester College, Oxford -
MedilinkWM - Designing the Home for Future Healthcare
With pressure on current UK housing stock and a shortage of homes available for an ageing population there is much demand for affordable housing that caters specifically for the needs of the elderly and less able. -
Michel Mossessian beats hundreds to land Fez jackpot
London’s Mossessian & Partners has seen off an incredible number of entrants to land the project to overhaul the historic Place Lalla Yeddouna, in the Medina of Fez, Morocco -
Model misbehaviour at MIPIM
The London model, although looking slightly tired, was still an impressive centrepiece for the buzzing London Pavilion at this year’s MIPIM property fair. -
More amazing Lego: Mies' Farnsworth House released
The geniuses at Lego have created another mini-masterpiece, Mies van der Rohe’s Modernist icon, Farnsworth House -
More delays for St Peter's Square contest
The winner of a design competition launched nearly 15 months ago to oversee the revamp of Manchester’s St Peter’s Square may not be known until the summer -
Museum and school of Flamenco
A competition has launched seeking designs for a joint school and museum of Flamenco in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain -
Neo Bankside, London, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Bright colours, external structure, exquisitely detailed… Neo Bankside is trademark Richard Rogers, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Ben Blossom -
New Brook Buildings, Central London by John Robertson Architects
[Drawings + project data] New Brook Buildings is the transformation of a grim post-war building into an elegant, vibrant and modern office development fit for the 21st century -
New homes pledge under threat, says new MP report
Government promises to build 150,000 new affordable homes over the next four years are under threat because of its decision to abolish regional plans in England, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned -
New Innovation from Ecophon
A new product instead of production waste. Glasswool consists almost entirely of glass. Over 70% of the basic material in Ecophon sound absorbers consist of recovered household glass and recycled glasswool. The remaining parts are normally produced from glass that is made from raw materials such as sand and sodium. -
New Practices #64: Office Sian Architecture + Design
The latest in a series of practice profiles looking at architects who have recently decided to go it alone, either through choice or redundancy -
Olympic Games 'Information Pavilion' competition
A competition to design a temporary Olympic Games Information Pavilion in Trafalgar Square has been unveiled -
Olympics 'to give district heating' to Stratford developments
Pipes will be laid to bring low carbon heat, produced on the Olympic site, to homes and businesses in Stratford High Street, it has been revealed -
One Hyde Park, London, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Despite its dramatic size, RSH+P’s scheme plays some surprising tricks of scale, writes Jay Merrick. Photography by Paul Raftery -
Open House London, expressions of interest
Open-City is now taking expressions of interest from practices wanting to show their work and engage with a wide audience as part of the city-wide Open House London event -
Paper Project reveals Mulberry Crescent house
[First look + plans + project data] Paper Project architecture + design has unveiled these images of its project to build a house on a former garages site in West Drayton, west London -
Parramatta City Council: ‘Ideas on Edge’
Parramatta City Council in Australia has launched ‘Ideas on Edge’ – an international design competition aimed at unearthing a commercially viable use for a site on the edge of Parramatta River -
Partnerships for Schools abolished
The government has abolished the former BSF-delivery body Partnerships for Schools (PfS), replacing it with a new central procurement body -
Perimeter bracing, Neo Bankside, London, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
[Working detail 25.11.10] Perimeter bracing to provide lateral stability -
PoMo goes to rehab
[THIS WEEK] Don’t panic, but Postmodernism looks like it might be on the up, writes James Pallister -
Pritzker Prize 2011: Why Souto de Moura won
In an exclusive interview, AJ editor Christine Murray asked Pritzker Prize chief executive Martha Thorne why Souto de Moura received this year’s award -
Pure Elegance from HÜPPE
The new World of Styles concept, based on two design styles – Pure and Elegance - was launched at ISH by Hüppe as the company pushes to challenge traditional perceptions of shower enclosures.The new Design range provides options in both Pure and Elegance styles and offers a new approach to choosing a shower enclosure. These design styles represent linear and geometric forms as well as softer, flowing lines, thereby ensuring a design solution is available for every bathroom. -
Q&A with Kevin Singh - the new head of Birmingham’s School of Architecture
The AJ talks to Kevin Singh about becoming the new head of Birmingham’s School of Architecture, replacing Tom Jefferies who left to join Manchester in January -
Quake could force all Japanese homes to be low energy
The recent earthquake in Japan and the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant could force all new homes to be low energy and become non-reliant on national power networks, according to architects in the country, writes Rufus Thompson -
Queens Court, Milton Keynes, by Allies and Morrison
[Building study] Milton Keynes Shopping Centre’s Queens Court has been thoughtfully transformed for modern consumers, writes Alex Maxwell. Photography by Dennis Gilbert -
Regent Street's window-dresser architects revealed
DSDHA, Duggan Morris and Marks Barfield are among 10 practices picked by RIBA London to design shop window installations for Regent Street in London -
Retrofit case study: Bournemead Close
Sustainability in Practice: Bournemead Close, London by ZEDfactory -
Retrofit case study: Follett Street
Suatainability in practice: Terraced house, Follett Street, Tower Hamlets -
Retrofit case study: Manor Crescent
Sustainability in Practice: Manor Crescent, Berkshire by ECD Architects -
Retrofit case study: Terraced house, Bristol
Sustainability in practice: Terraced house, Bristol, by White Design -
Retrofit case study: Wolfe Crescent
Sustainability in Practice: Wolfe Crescent in Charlton by Levitt Bernstein -
Retrofit for the Future
[Feature + five case studies] Architects are at the forefront of a retrofit movement that is both low-carbon and high-tech, writes Martin Spring -
RIBA councillor resigns over London Region debacle
An RIBA councillor has quit in protest against the institute’s handling of the resignation of London Region chair Azar Djamali -
RIBA finally forces member practices to pay minimum wage for students
The RIBA has today introduced a statutory minimum wage clause covering post-Part 1 students working for architects in the RIBA’s Chartered Practice scheme -
RIBA headquarters model competition
The RIBA has launched a student competition to build a model of their headquarters at 66 Portland Place -
RIBA minimum wage ‘shameful’ says Archaos
Student group Archaos has hit out at the RIBA’s plan to combat student low pay by establishing a minimum wage, claiming the institute should do more to support practising architects -
RIBA plans to close regional bookshops
Architects have hit out at ‘absurd’ plans from the RIBA to close regional bookshops in three cities just a month after opening a third store in London -
Riverside park at Battersea Power Station to open this summer
{Images] Battersea Power Station owner Treasury Holdings has submitted a planning application for a one-hectare riverside park and released new images showing its plans for the site -
RMJM abandons Architecture for Everyone
RMJM has dropped its support for a much-publicised initiative, Architecture for Everyone, aimed at encouraging young black and ethnic-minority people to study architecture -
RMJM’s £8million personal bail out
RMJM’s controlling dynasty, the Morrison family, is to pump £8 million into the beleaguered global giant in an attempt to turn the company’s financial position around -
Rogers completes Barcelona bullring overhaul
[Images + data + architect’s view] Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners has completed its conversion of a former, 19th century bullring in Barcelona into a new mixed-use leisure, entertainment and office complex -
RTPI: budget is mandate for tin sheds and Legoland housing
The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has attacked the Chancellor’s move to allow builders and other developers to ignore planning law -
Ruth Reed in failed bid to oust Harry Rich
RIBA president Ruth Reed has failed in a bid to oust chief executive Harry Rich through a vote of ‘no confidence’, the AJ can exclusively reveal -
Saltire Society Housing Design Awards calls for entries
Scotland’s oldest design awards scheme has marked its 2011 Call for Entries with the announcement of a new ‘Innovation in Housing’ award and the news that Malcolm Fraser will become its Annual Chair -
Shaping Neighbourhoods (For local health and global sustainability)
[BOOK REVIEW]Hugh Barton and Marcus Grant’s updated handbook is a treasure trove of information and a well-argued alternative to the Urban Design Compendium, writes Jonathan Brown of URBED -
Shortlisted designs for new Vauxhall walkway unveiled
These are the five shortlisted designs for a new £20 million pedestrian-friendly walkway in Vauxhall, south London -
Smartgeometry 2011 Conference
The SmartGeometry Group is pleased to announce speakers for the two-day conference in Copenhagen on 1 and 2 April, 2011 and to open registration for the event -
Spence gets Blue Plaque honour
English Heritage will be commemorating post-War Modernist architect Basil Spence with a blue plaque at his one-time home and office in London. -
Stephenson Bell's CVA fails as company goes into administration
Manchester-based Stephenson Bell has gone into liquidation following the collapse of an ‘unworkable’ company voluntary arrangement (CVA) -
Stonehenge plans get funding boost
Denton Corker Marshall’s plans to transform the surroundings of Stonehenge have moved another ‘crucial’ step closer, English Heritage says as new funding is unveiled -
Telehouse West Data Centre Docklands, London by YRM
Telehouse West is the latest building on Telehouse’s YRM-designed Data Centre Campus in London’s Docklands. The eight-storey, £80 million facility provides 5,000m² of technical space on five tenant floors with resilient, diverse power and cooling, backed up by emergency power generators accommodated in a linked two-storey building -
Terry Duffy’s painting Victim, No Resurrection
A question mark in an artwork’s title can mean a theological shift, writes James Pallister -
The 2011 KPF/AF Student Travel Award
Now in its seventh year, The 2011 KPF/AF Student Travel Award supports outstanding architecture students and encourages new creative thinking by students in the field of architecture -
The Briggait Market Halls, Glasgow by Nicoll Russell Studios
Nicoll Russell Studios’ loving retrofit of The Briggait market halls has given Glasgow a vital new arts hub, writes Rory Olcayto -
Three developers shortlisted to redevelop Olympic Village
The names of three developers bidding to convert the Olympic village into housing and build 2,000 new homes on the east London site have been revealed -
Two sides to the Localism debate, not counting the very luxurious inside
Ian Martin putas a tenner on The New Colloquialism -
Union Terrace Gardens competition to be launched next month
Malcolm Reading Consultants has been appointed to run a design competition for the contentious redevelopment of Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen, Scotland -
Upgrade and repairs for Stirling's Engineering building at The University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is looking for an architect to repair and upgrade the roof and glazed-wall structure of its famous Stirling and Gowan-designed Engineering building -
Urban Design completes Birmingham car park
[First look + plans] Birmingham City Council’s in-house architectural outfit has completed this £12 million car park in the city’s Eastside area -
Urban Splash sells Midland Hotel
Urban Splash, the development company that rejuvenated the Midland Hotel in Morecambe, has sold the freehold for the iconic Art-Deco building to north-west charity The Lancaster Foundation -
Vaizey: 'CABE funding cut was most diffcult decision'
The decision by the Department for Media Culture and Sport to pull CABE’s funding last year was ‘one of the most difficult we had to make’ according to Culture Minister Ed Vaizey -
Victory for campaign to save RIBA Trust
Campaigners have welcomed an institute ‘u-turn’ which could see the RIBA Trust reborn and renamed the British Architectural Trust Board -
W London Hotel, Soho by Jestico + Whiles
[Building study] Jestico + Whiles have come up with an appropriately vibrant response to Leicester Square, writes Felix Mara. Photography by Hufton + Crow -
WAF 2011: ‘super-jury’ announced
The World Architecture Festival has unveiled its ‘super-jury’ for this year’s World Building of the Year award -
Why MIPIM is only for the organised
This year’s MIPIM was worth the expense, but only if your appointment book was full, says Christine Murray -
Will Self at the Geological Society, on Stockwell Bus Garage
[THIS WEEK] Architecture that is built for and used by the people deserves praise, writes James Pallister -
Woods Bagot scoops Baku airport job
[First look] Woods Bagot has been appointed to design a new airport terminal in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan -
Work completes on Populous' Olympic Stadium
International inspectors will lay the last piece of turf in the Populous-designed Olympic Stadium today (29 March) as they begin a check-up of preparations for the London 2012 Games -
Workhouse listing casts shadow over CZWG plans
The government’s decision to list a Georgian workhouse in Fitzrovia, London, could scupper plans by CZWG to redevelop the building -
World Architecture Festival 2011 - open for entries
The World Architecture Festival (WAF) is on the hunt for the best buildings in the world
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