Architects Journal
December 2011
View all stories from this issue.
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AHMM, Duggan Morris and Egret West scoop planning for Old Vinyl Factory revamp
Studio Egret West, AHMM and Duggan Morris have won planning permission for the £250 million redevelopment of the former EMI record factory in Hayes, west London -
Cor! busier
Charles Knevitt, lately of the RIBA Trust (RIP) and the man who brought the Le Corbusier exhibition to these shores in 2008 and 2009, has been seen sporting a pair of vintage Corbu spectacles this Yuletide -
It’s time for steady nerves and cool decisions
Paul Finch’s letter from London: Keep calm and carry on -
Octopi’s competition-winning 2012 kiosk to be dropped
Newham Council is set to drop plans to build Studio Octopi’s competition-winning kiosk scheme in time for the London 2012 Olympics. -
Ptolemy Dean appointed architectural advisor to Westminster Abbey
Historic preservation architect and television presenter Ptolemy Dean has been appointed Westminster Abbey’s new surveyor of the fabric -
‘Last chance’ Cardross plan revealed
Avanti Architects and ERZ landscape architects have revealed these plans to save the crumbling ruin of Gillespie, Kidd & Coia’s 1966 St Peter’s Seminary in Cardross, 40km from Glasgow -
147 projects by 124 different practices: The AJ in 2011
We published dozens of projects this year - did you send us yours, asks Christine Murray -
2011: The year of a nimble profession
Christine Murray, Editor -
2011: The year of iconus horribilis
Rory Olcayto, deputy editor -
2011: The year of structural engineering
Felix Mara, technical editor -
2011: The year of sustainable design
Hattie Hartman, sustainability editor -
2012 key trends: BIM
A radical culture change is needed to get the best out of building information modelling processes, says Richard Shennan -
2012 key trends: How to grow
How to restructure your practice and get ready for the upturn, before it comes, by Christopher Jenkins -
2012 key trends: Mobile devices
Smart phones and tablets are about to transform the way that you do business, says Javier A Baldor -
2012 key trends: Promote your practice
Why marketing, PR, publishing and networking are vital in a challenging market, by Amanda Reekie -
2012 key trends: Recruitment
These are lean times, but there are still opportunities for people with good skills and contact networks, says Lindsay Urquhart -
2012 key trends: The year ahead
The year ahead: Practices must sharpen their focus in 2012 and demonstrate the benefit of architectural thinking, writes Steve Parnell -
2012 key trends: Turn off the AC
With traditional air conditioning under pressure on many fronts, 2012 will be the year of phase change materials, writesTony Cull -
A bold plan by a ‘metarchitect’ to map the world cloaks a much more sinister agenda
Ian Martin: imagining life beyond the colon -
Aedas lets 20 go from Hong Kong office
AJ100 big hitter Aedas has laid off 20 staff from its Hong Kong office following a ‘restructuring exercise’ -
AJ exclusive: Heneghan Peng wins Palestinian Museum contest
The AJ can reveal that Heneghan Peng has been appointed to design the Palestinian Museum, near Ramallah on the West Bank -
AJ Specification 11.11 – Masonry
Case studies of the Lyric Theatre by O’Donnell + Tuomey, Oak Farm by ShedKM and Brentwood Sixth Form Centre by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architects -
Allies and Morrison submits Vauxhall twin towers
Allies and Morrison’s £400 million twin-towers project at Vauxhall in south London has been submitted for planning -
Apology: MVRDV regrets 9/11 lookalike towers
MVRDV has apologised over its The Cloud project in Seoul, Korea which has been criticised for looking like New York’s 9/11 Twin Towers tragedy -
AR Design Studio completes Solent beachfront house
[First look + plans] Emerging practice AR Design Studio has finished work on this £300,000 seafront home overlooking the Solent and the Isle of Wight -
Architect professors sought to meet 'soaring demand' in China
The University of Nottingham’s China campus is looking for six architecture staff members as it expands its engineering department to cope with soaring demand -
Arup aims to tighten China’s building regs
Arup is to design a series of zero carbon buildings in China to UK standards in a bid to convince the country to enforce tighter sustainability regulations -
Battersea Power Station to go on sale early next year
Batterseas Power Station is set to go on the market early in the new year, according to Wandsworth Borough Council. -
BDP expands in Shanghai
BDP has signalled its intentions to expand in China by moving to larger offices in Shanghai. -
BDP wins planning for its tallest ever building
The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has given the go ahead for this 28-storey student housing scheme on the Olympic Park designed by BDP -
Boris Johnson scoops RIBA honorary fellowship
London mayor Boris Johnson has been made an honorary fellow of the RIBA -
British Council begins hunt for Venice Biennale proposals
[Open call for proposals will launch on 10 January 2012] The British Council is seeking proposals from architects, students, writers, critics and academics for the British Pavilion at the 13th Venice Architecture Biennale -
Building bonanza: Wales reveals £1.4bn schools overhaul programme
The Welsh government has unveiled a £1.4 billion schools building programme -
Cambridge University seeks architect for New Museums Site building
[Expressions of interest must be received by 22 December 2011] The University of Cambridge is seeking expressions of interest for the refurbishment of its Arup Associates-designed 1971 New Museums Site building in the city centre -
Camden launches attack on Middlesex Hospital plans
Camden Council has launched an attack on Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands and Sheppard Robson’s £750 million plans to redevelop the former Middlesex Hospital site in Westminster -
Canterbury tales
Two months after its opening, Keith Williams Architects’ Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury is back in the news, but for the wrong reasons -
Capita Symonds plots Saudi expansion
AJ100 big-hitter Capita Symonds is targeting Saudi Arabia for a raft of new design work following a recent project win in the country -
Charity auction of 100 sketches and models of the City raises more than £80k
An auction of artworks by 100 architects and artists has raised £82,337 for built environment charity Article 25 -
Chippo vs UNESCO?
Was the remarkable colour change of David Chipperfield’s Elizabeth House redevelopment – from black to gold – engineered to reflect the Christmas spirit, or to charm UNESCO’s bigwigs on a recent capital visit? -
Civic Square redevelopment, New Zealand
[Registration should be completed by 14 January 2012] Hastings District Council in New Zealand has launched a contest to redesign the city’s civic square -
Comment: What future for Scotland's past?
Peter Drummond argues against any potential move to merge the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland with Historic Scotland -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 08.12.11
The British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale, a Royal Mail framework and Kedleston Hall. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Competitions: Editor's Pick, 15.12.11
A Cambridge University refurbishment, Leeds’ Royal Armouries and Queen Mary University in London. The editor’s pick of this week’s top competitions -
Construction output to fall 5 per cent in 2012
Construction output could tumble by more than 5 per cent during 2012, according to the latest forecasts from the Construction Products Association -
Construction starts on Knight’s New Zealand road bridge
Work has started on Knight Architects’ £14 million Lower Hatea River Crossing in Whangarei, New Zealand -
Contest launched for post-earthquake redesign of Auletta, Italy
[Submissions should be received by 30 January 2012] The Municipality of Auletta has launched an open ideas competition for the future of the city which ws devastated in the 1980 Irpinia earthquake -
Council vetoes Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands’ Lambeth fire station plan
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands’ mixed-use redevelopment of a Grade II-listed fire station in Lambeth, London has been denied planning permission -
Council vetoes Metropolis King’s Cross hotel
Metropolis Planning and Design’s proposed seven-storey hotel project in King’s Cross has been rejected by Camden Council -
David Chipperfield officially appointed as Venice Biennale director
David Chipperfield has finally been named as the 13th director of the Venice Biennale of Architecture -
DC Cabe backs above-ground designs for London's super-sewer
[First look] Design Council Cabe and Thames Water have revealed these images showing post design-reviewed proposals for surface level Thames Tideway Tunnel sites -
Digital edition: AJ Index 2011
Building studies listed by typology, architect, details and sustainability -
Dixon Jones’ £29m Exhibition Road overhaul officially opens
London mayor Boris Johnson has officially opened Dixon Jones’ shared surface revamp of Exhibition Road in South Kensington, London -
Ecophon - Sound style
Ecophon, part of leading international materials company Saint-Gobain, has launched a new range of sound-absorbing wall panels featuring striking digital designs. -
Emerging practice Mohsin Cooper to set up Indian office
A UK architecture practice launched just 18 months ago is looking to open an office in India this year after bagging a number of projects on the subcontinent -
Erect and Make win post-Olympic parks contests
The winners of two competitions to design new parks on the Olympic site after the 2012 Games have been revealed by the Olympic Park Legacy Company -
Ex-ASL staff launch legal bid
A group of former employees of Austin-Smith:Lord’s (ASL) has launched a legal bid to side-step the practice’s company voluntary agreement (CVA) and get paid first -
Feed-in tariff cuts 'unlawful', judge rules
Friends of the Earth has won its legal challenge against the government’s plans to cut feed-in tariff payments to solar schemes started after the 12 December 2011 -
Former Soviet bloc new housing growth hotspot
Former Soviet cities will lead the growth in the residential property market in 2012, according to a new report -
Foster beats Rogers to win Spanish rail terminal contest
Foster + Partners has seen off an impressive shortlist, which included Brits Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and AZPA, to win the contest to redevelop Orense train station in Spain -
'Glow' contest opens for Boston
[Submissions must be received by 3 February 2012] SHIFTboston is on the hunt for architects and designers to devise lighting schemes for Copley Square, Boston -
Gordon Murray Architects merges with Ryder Architecture
Gordon Murray and four former staff have joined Ryder Architecture just two weeks after Gordon Murray Architects (GMA) went into liquidation. -
Grimshaw wins Dulwich College contest
Grimshaw Architects has seen off Amanda Levete Architects, Hopkins Architects, and Walters and Cohen in a contest to design Dulwich College’s new science building -
Have your say: Take the Women in Architecture survey
Students, clients, architects: help us track the gender divide by filling out the AJ’s Women in Architecture survey on the status of women in practice -
Hewitt Studios completes Hereford College of Arts 'hub'
Bath-based Hewitt Studios has unwrapped this £1.2 million exhibition space and café for the Hereford College of Arts (HCA) -
Hopkins' Evelina atrium to close again
The atrium of Hopkins’ Stirling Prize-shortlisted Evelina Children’s Hospital in Southwark, London is to close for eight months so defective glazing can be replaced -
Housing crisis warning as planning permissions fall 10%
Planning permissions dropped 10 per cent in the last quarter, potentially intensifying the country’s housing crisis, according to the Home Builders Federation -
Ideas contest launched to help UK homeless
[Submissions must be received by 15 January 2012] A contest has been launched seeking structures to provide shelter for Britain’s homeless population -
In pictures: Cullinan on Palestine museum shortlist
Edward Cullinan Architects has been shortlisted to design the Palestinian Museum, near Ramallah on the West Bank -
Judicial review date set on government's feed-in tariff cuts
The High Court has given permission to Friends of the Earth and solar firms Solarcentury and HomeSun to challenge the government’s plans to slash financial incentives for solar electricity -
Latest aerial shots of Olympic venues released
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) has published new aerial images of the ‘90 per cent complete’ Olympic Park -
Library, University of Aberdeen, by Schmidt Hammer Lassen
Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s zebra-skinned library brings the University of Aberdeen into its sixth century with a flourish, writes Alan Dunlop. Photography by Adam Mork -
London Plan snags Farrell’s Earls Court vision
Terry Farrell and Partners’ masterplan for the redevelopment of the Earls Court in west London has been sent back to the drawing board after failing to meet the London Plan -
Looking back over 2011: The books, shows and places to go
Soul-searching about architecture’s future and three blockbuster exhibitions have dominated this year’s cultural offering, writes James Pallister -
Lords call for new legislation on basement extensions
A private member’s bill has been tabled to combat the ‘rapid growth of unregulated’ underground extensions -
Lynch bags go-ahead for Hackney house
[First look + plans] Lynch Architects has won planning permission for this £250,000 private house in Hackney, north London -
Lyric Theatre by O’Donnell + Tuomey
Seen from the river, the new theatre is expressed as crystalline forms in a parkland -
Major cash injection for RIBA regions
The RIBA has given a huge boost to its regional offices by increasing its Local Initiative Fund from just £8,000 this year to £85,000 in 2012 – more than ten times as much -
Make's 'puffer jacket' retrofit in Holborn wins planning
Ken Shuttleworth’s practice Make has won planning permission for this ‘comprehensive’ remodelling of 150 Holborn next to Chancery Lane Tube station -
McChesney finishes roundabout sculpture
Ian McChesney has completed this ‘prototype’ artwork at the Cargo Fleet Roundabout on the A66 in Middlesbrough. -
Medical Architecture completes Northumbria children's centre
Work has finished on this children’s mental health centre in Northumblerland designed by Medical Architecture (MAAP) -
MPs demand significant changes to 'unhelpfully vague' NPPF
Ministers have called on the government to redraft its controversial reform of the planning rules and get rid of the ‘unsustainable’ default ‘yes’ to development -
New Practices #93: Hewitt & Carr Architects
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 #94: Studio DRA
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 Year honours go to McAslan and Open-City founder
John McAslan and Open-City founder Victoria Thornton have been recognised by the Queen for their contribution to architecture -
News analysis: Embattled Battersea faces new threat
Financial fears for the majority owners of Battersea Power Station have cast serious doubt over the future of Rafael Viñoly’s £5.5 billion scheme for the site and reignited debate over London’s most troubled landmark -
Next Nature Powershow, Amsterdam
From an artificial mountain to a lab-grown hamburger, James Pallister finds the Next Nature Power Show in Amsterdam full of new ways that man is shaping nature -
Now Foster rethinks Heathrow
The scale of Norman Foster’s infrastructure vision for the UK expanded last week when the 76-year-old starchitect claimed his plan to build a £50 billion hub airport in the Thames Estuary should be funded by the closure of Heathrow -
Passivhaus ideas contest, Bulgaria
[Registration should be completed by March 16] Students and professionals have been invited to submit proposals for a Passivhaus project near Sofia, Bulgaria -
Peter Murray blasts ‘Olympocratic nonsense’
NLA chair Peter Murray this week fired a salvo at Olympics bosses over their refusal to allow architects to advertise their role in the Games construction -
Queen Mary University London launches design services framework
[Requests to participate must be received by 30 January 2012] Queen Mary University is seeking design services as part of a four-year framework covering its Mile End campus in east London -
Reaction: The stories that shook your world in 2011
From tuition fees to Localism, architects and key figures comment on the headlines that shaped 2011 -
Revealed: Lincolnshire seafront viewing tower winners
The AJ can unveil the two winners in the Structures On The Edge competition for a pair of new viewing platforms on the seafront between Skegness and Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire -
RIAS floats shake-up for Scottish procurement
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has launched a report slamming Scotland’s ‘damaging’ architectural procurement which it blames for wasting ‘tens of millions of pounds’ -
RIBA launch contest to transform Merseyside colliery
[Stage one proposals must be received by 15 February 2012] RIBA Competitions and Land Trust has launched an international design contest seeking ‘visionary’ proposals for a former colliery in Knowsley, Merseyside -
RMJM designs model city in Pakistan
Top 20 AJ100-practice RMJM has unveiled its masterplan for a model city project 50 km from Karachi in Pakistan -
RMJM in line to buy YRM
RMJM looks set to snap up troubled 67-year old practice YRM -
Robot riots filmmaker wins silver RIBA President’s Medal
Bartlett student Kibwe Tavares won this year’s silver RIBA President’s Medal for his five minute Robots of Brixton computer generated video -
Rogers attacks government's proposed planning reform again
Richard Rogers has launched another attack on the government’s overhaul of the planning system, arguing that it could result in ‘cities falling into dereliction’ -
Rogers' Lloyd's becomes youngest Grade-I listed building
Richard Rogers’ iconic Lloyd’s building in central London has been given the highest listing status just weeks after its 25th birthday -
Rolfe Judd’s controversial Twickenham station scheme approved
Rolfe Judd’s contentious £40 million revamp of Twickenham Station in London has been given the green light by Richmond Borough Council -
Royal Academy hunts 'support architects' for Arts Burlington Gardens masterplan
[Requests to participate must be received by 2 February 2012] The Royal Academy of the Arts seek designers to support David Chipperfield Architects in the second phase of their 6 Burlington Gardens Masterplan. -
Royal Armouries Leeds targets new architects
[Requests to participate must be received by 20 January 2012] The Royal Armouries in Leeds is on the hunt for architects to work on the design of its exhibition spaces. -
Royal Mail launches nationwide design framework
[Requests to participate must be received by 10 January 2012] The Royal Mail Group is seeking architectural design services as part of a six year framework agreement -
SAS International solutions specified for major refurbishment of City Thameslink
SAS International’s Project Management division has recently designed, supplied and installed the vitreous enamel wall paneling and ceiling solutions for the major refurbishment of City Thameslink station in London. -
Saved - threatened 1963 Modernist church listed
A ‘strikingly modern’ 1963 church in Stalybridge by Massey & Massey of Warrington has been given a Grade II listing -
Search begins for team to design new Hounslow leisure centre
[Request to participate must be received by 20 January 2012] The London borough of Hounslow Council is on the hunt for architects to design a new leisure centre in west London -
Sheppard Robson wins planning for contentious Hammersmith revamp
[First look + plans] Sheppard Robson has won planning permission for its controversial redevelopment of Hammersmith town centre in London -
Shock salary results from AJ Women in Architecture survey
46% of women claim men get paid more for doing the same job, while 73% suffer from sex discrimination at work, early results show -
Shortlist for RIBA West Belfast contest scrapped
Northern Ireland’s Department for Social Development (DSD) has abandoned a high-profile RIBA-run contest despite having already named a shortlist -
Snøhetta reveals plans for Aberdeen Maggie's Centre
[First look] Oslo-based Snøhetta has submitted plans for a new Maggie’s Cancer Care Centre at the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary -
SOM replaces Squire and Partners on 36-storey Islington tower
SOM has been appointed to deliver a mixed-use scheme at City Road Basin, London which Squire and Partners won planning permission for in 2006 -
Stephen Lawrence Trust welcomes justice for murdered teenager 18 years on
The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust has expressed its ‘sense of huge relief’ following the conviction of two men for the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 -
Stop trying to profit from architectural relics
Not every derelict building is a commercial opportunity, as Cardross and Battersea show, writes Rory Olcayto -
Student housing sector booms as tuition fee hikes loom
Almost £840 million was invested in the development of student accommodation in 2011, new research by CBRE has revealed -
Teamkal Awards winners 2011
Fowler McKenzie not only scooped the celebrated ‘Teamkal Contractor of the Year’ award but also claimed the ‘Best Kalzip project under 1,500 sqm’ and ‘Best use of Fabrications’ awards for the New Pro Centre, Carnoustie Golf Links. The futuristic Slough Bus Station and impressive Velodrome and Aquatics Centre projects in London were also among the top accolades at Kalzip’s recent annual Teamkal Conference & Awards ceremony. -
Techniker and Spence's New Wear Crossing finally bags funding
The government has pledged £82.5 million towards Techniker and Spence Associates’ long-awaited New Wear Crossing bridge in Sunderland -
Terry Farrell unveils ‘radical’ new Battersea Power Station vision
Terry Farrell has launched a ‘pragmatic and incremental’ solution to the ongoing saga of Battersea Power Station’s redevelopment -
The buildings of 2011 - as chosen by you
The AJ asked leading figures across the profession for their favourite buildings completed in the last 12 months - and here is what they chose -
Top 10: World's most spectacular modern churches
A Christmas list of avant garde places to worship, from Germany to Japan and America to the Ivory Coast -
Transparent, sustainable, promotional - Mediamesh at WinStar World Casino, Oklahoma
Poker, bingo and Black Jack - Today, gambling is one of the main sources of income of Native American tribes. Thus, the Chickasaw Nation (English: rebel) operates various casinos in Oklahoma. WinStar World Casino, located on the Oklahoma-Texas border is currently the third largest casino in the world. Besides slot machines and table games, the 48.200 square metre area is home to a 400-room hotel and a 3,000-seat concert hall. The casino owes its name to the creative façade as homage to famous -
U-Values Of 1.32 Are Easi With Origin’s Folding Sliding Doors
The Easifold range of folding sliding doors, which already features a bespoke free-glide running system, now also features an industry leading U-value of 1.32W/m²K, outperforming the Part L requirement of 1.7W/m²K by a huge margin. The unique free-glide running system designed by leading UK manufacturer Origin uses near-frictionless, maintenance-free needle roller bearings encased in tough nylon and concealed within the bottom track to ensure ease of operation. -
Viñoly joins KPF on Chelsea FC bid for Battersea Power Station
Rafael Viñoly is collaborating with KPF on developer Almacantar’s proposal to build a 60,000-seat stadium for Chelsea Football Club at Battersea Power Station, south London -
Viñoly’s Battersea Power Station goes into administration
Ernst and Young has been appointed administrators to Rafael Viñoly’s £5.5 billion redevelopment of Battersea Power Station in south London -
White Cube Bermondsey, London, by Casper Mueller Kneer Architects
A nine-by-nine top-lit ‘cube’ sits within Casper Mueller Kneer’s vast warehouse conversion for super-gallery White Cube, writes James Pallister. Photography by Paul Riddle and Ben Westoby -
Wilkinson Eyre unveils City of London footbridge
[First look + drawings] Wilkinson Eyre has submitted plans for this footbridge between two banks in the City of London -
Wood Street Market: Call for occupants
Architects looking for some cut price studio space could do well to look to E17, writes James Pallister -
Work starts on Siemens' Masdar HQ by Sheppard Robson
Construction has started on this 20,000m² headquarters building for Siemens at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi designed by Sheppard Robson -
YRM hopes for pre-Christmas sale
YRM chief executive John Clemow said a buyout for the company before Christmas could be on the cards -
YRM sold to RMJM
RMJM has officially snapped up troubled 67-year-old nuclear and aviation specialist YRM
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