Architects Journal
Rory Olcayto

Rory Olcayto is the AJ deputy editor

Who’s going to be up for the Stirling Prize?

12-Jun-2013
Rory Olcayto draws up the shortlist of shortlists
The Istanbul riots are fundamentally about a city struggling to catch its breath

4-Jun-2013
Rory Olcayto looks at why the proposed redevelopment of Gezi Park in Istanbul has provoked such strong reactions
The Istanbul riots are fundamentally about a city struggling to catch its breath, says Rory Olcayto

4-Jun-2013
Rory Olcayto looks at why the proposed redevelopment of Gezi Park in Istanbul has provoked such strong reactions
London's 'Lesser Known Architecture' goes on show at the Design Museum

29-May-2013
The Design Museum’s new show uncovers hidden gems of London architecture, says Rory Olcayto
Correa: ‘We must create cities where the poor are not dehumanised’

23-May-2013
Charles Correa on cities, slums and architectural emotions. AJ deputy editor Rory Olcayto reports as retrospective opens at RIBA
Kunsthalle plans for Peckham deserve London's support

20-May-2013
Southwark Council must embrace this bold vision to transform Peckham forever, writes Rory Olcayto
Architects must embrace 3D printing

15-May-2013
This technology is here to stay, says Rory Olcayto
Carol Rhodes paintings are more truthful than Google Maps

8-May-2013
Whose view of our landscape is more authentic, Google Maps’ or Carol Rhodes’? asks Rory Olcayto
Libeskind’s thoughts are unlikely to win over the Maze Peace Centre sceptics

1-May-2013
Libeskind’s thoughts on the Troubles are unlikely to win over the Maze Peace Centre sceptics, says Rory Olcayto
Passages of time

25-Apr-2013
The newly refurbished Dutch national gallery and museum, the Rijksmuseum, completes the story of Pierre Cuypers’ Gothic pile, writes Rory Olcayto
A special kind of ordinary: Molenplein by Tony Fretton

24-Apr-2013
An artist’s touch lifts Tony Fretton’s Molenplein housing scheme out of the commonplace, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Christian Richters
Why did James Russell say Brutalism caused the Boston bombings?

22-Apr-2013
AJ deputy editor Rory Olcayto asks why US critic James Russell has linked a concrete campus to the Boston Marathon tragedy
Society? No chance under Thatcher's reign

16-Apr-2013
Thatcher saw you and me as elements to experiment with, says Rory Olcayto
Look out Shard, you're next

9-Apr-2013
Hollywood has plans to raze you to the ground, says Rory Olcayto
Eastanbul, Westanbul - or just Istanbul?

8-Apr-2013
Ahead of INN London’s four-day event celebrating the business and culture of Istanbul, Rory Olcayto ponders appropriate urban designs for Europe’s biggest city
Essex elementary: Takeley Primary by Sarah Wigglesworth

28-Mar-2013
Sarah Wigglesworth’s Takeley Primary shows that good schools can be built on a budget, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Anthony Coleman
How did the architecture profession get lumped in with the 'creative industries'?

27-Mar-2013
Blame the ’90s, says Rory Olcayto
Pritzker Prize: Denise Scott Brown should have won in '91

19-Mar-2013
Is the Pritzker Prize bold enough to acknowledge past mistakes? wonders Rory Olcayto
Design must be at the heart of the impetus to get housebuilding moving again

14-Mar-2013
We want this week’s housing essays and our 12 exemplar housing studies, to inspire top-level support for design as an essential quality, says Rory Olcayto
It's time to question the classic Corb backstory

12-Mar-2013
Yes it’s another Ottoman history lesson - but this one’s about Le Corbusier, says Rory Olcayto
The Wright stuff: Newlands School by Wright & Wright

8-Mar-2013
Wright & Wright’s school for boys with behavioural problems shows architecture with a serious purpose matters, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by James Brittain
When is a stair not a stair?

5-Mar-2013
When it’s an inter-floor enabling and connecting element, says Rory Olcayto
A clear way forward: Eastside City Park by Patel Taylor

1-Mar-2013
The orthogonal green and hard landscaped spaces of Patel Taylor’s Eastside City Park open routes to bind Birmingham’s old and new inner city together, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Timothy Soar
Who needs Southern comfort when you can have Northern soul?

27-Feb-2013
Architecture, drink and food betray the UK’s Hanseatic past, says Rory Olcayto
Rory Olcayto: 'Why choose Fujimoto for Serpentine pavilion over rising UK stars?'

20-Feb-2013
Sou Fujimoto’s design for this year’s Serpentine pavilion is no better than anything the UK’s best young architects could propose, writes AJ deputy editor Rory Olcayto
In pictures: Gehry, Hadid and Graves design ‘oriental’ rugs for Afghan women's cause

19-Feb-2013
Gehry and Hadid design ‘oriental’ rugs, but how do they compare with traditional weaves? asks Rory Olcayto
Does Zumthor use a Mac or a PC?

14-Feb-2013
Not so hot under the bonnet, architects now care more about surface and brand, says Rory Olcayto
Who designed the 1938 Empire Exhibition women's pavilion?

7-Feb-2013
You should know, says Rory Olcayto
What a week for Glasgow

31-Jan-2013
If Glasgow learns the lessons of the past week’s shambles it can come out of it with pride intact, says Rory Olcayto
Smart City plans 'antidote' to Glasgow George Square fiasco

28-Jan-2013
If Glasgow learns the lessons of the past week’s shambles it can come out of it with pride intact, says Rory Olcayto
Glasgow bags Smart City cash windfall

28-Jan-2013
Glasgow has won a £24million Government-backed ‘smart city’ grant, after beating off competition from 30 other British cities and towns
George Square: Matheson ditched contest after jury snubbed Burns + Nice

28-Jan-2013
Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson scrapped the George Square competition because the jury rejected his favourite scheme, it has been claimed
Is Abu Dhabi the future?

24-Jan-2013
Time, weather and place change at videogame pace in Abu Dhabi, but is this the future? asks Rory Olcayto
George Square debacle has roots in 80s 'City of Culture' campaign

22-Jan-2013
[From the deputy editor] Glasgow’s failure to embrace bold, imaginative urban design led to this George Square debacle, says Rory Olcayto
Kazimir the geometer

21-Jan-2013
The permanent collection of works by Kazimir Malevich, the founder of Suprematism, at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is hugely instructive in the development and persistence of Modernist form, writes Rory Olcayto
‘Zaha Hadid vs the Pirates’

17-Jan-2013
These tales of Chinese piracy amount to great PR for Zaha Hadid’s architectural brand, says Rory Olcayto
How we choose a shortlist: AJ Small Projects 2013 part 1

10-Jan-2013
The high quality of submissions has made it a tough call but this year’s shortlist is perhaps the strongest ever, writes Rory Olcayto
The Hobbit: My unexpected journey

10-Jan-2013
Black box: A sense of risk, danger and the unknown is far more compelling than beauty, says Rory Olcayto
2012: The year of... Shifting perspectives

20-Dec-2012
A wealth of architecture coming out of Northern Ireland, the Olympic Games, and the Venice Biennale all made 2012 a year of suprising architectural culture
Glasgow, the 70s and 'the spirit of municipal generosity'

19-Dec-2012
If the seventies were as grim as recent events suggest, why were we so happy then, wonders Rory Olcayto
Glasgow says goodbye to Sir Walter Scott

12-Dec-2012
Why do Glasgow’s ‘stakeholders’ have more say than citizens on the fate of George Square, asks Rory Olcayto
Graphic and Novel

10-Dec-2012
Chris Ware’s boundary-pushing new comic book drives its narrative by fusing architectural framing devices with reader interaction, discovers Rory Olcayto
Tall buildings will change London for ever

6-Dec-2012
‘The new towers of London will make this world city even more world class,’ says Rory Olcayto
Model pupil: Walters & Cohen

29-Nov-2012
[School design] Earning top marks for over a decade, Walters & Cohen takes its expertise to Scotland and ponders new government baseline designs, writes Rory Olcayto Photography by Dennis Gilbert/VIEW
Oval teenies: dRMM’s Four Dwellings Primary School

29-Nov-2012
[School design] Prefabricated engineered timber lends itself to an unusual elliptical layout at dRMM’s Four Dwellings Primary School in Birmingham, part of the BSF framework
Bercott's Academy was also far more courageous than its replacement

29-Nov-2012
Hermitage Academy’s demolition is all the more tragic for the weakness of JM Architects’ replacement, says Rory Olcayto
Architectural writing: five of the best pieces ever written

22-Nov-2012
These are a few of my favourite things, says Rory Olcayto
Client Friendly: Why We Build by Rowan Moore

19-Nov-2012
Journalist, architect and client Rowan Moore takes a serious and studied look at the emotions we invest in the built environment
The opposite of Shard: Piano in Oslo

15-Nov-2012
Renzo Piano’s new Astrup Fearnley Museum is so laid back it’s horizontal, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Nic Lehoux
Oslo’s townscape is a striking monument to Hamsun

15-Nov-2012
Hamsun helped shape modern literature, but Oslo can’t embrace him like Dublin has Joyce, says Rory Olcayto
Crossing the Rubicon

8-Nov-2012
PRP says designing social housing is about choosing the right battles to fight. Rory Olcayto goes ringside. Photography by Tim Crocker
Woods versus Gilliam: Lebbeus swipes back

8-Nov-2012
Lebbeus Woods’ successful copyright claim was a rare thing in an industry built on copying, says Rory Olcayto
Welcome to 'Earth Style'

1-Nov-2012
Business hotels. Chain stores. Airports: they all look the same, it’s the new ‘Earth Style’, writes Rory Olcayto
Announced: Winner of AJ's Prometheus chair contest

25-Oct-2012
AJ’s July competition to win an Omni chair, as seen in summer blockbuster Prometheus, has been won by AJ subscriber Stephen Haben
Craft and technique: Goldsmiths’ Centre

25-Oct-2012
Lyall Bills & Young has made the Goldsmiths’ Centre a functional, friendly place to work, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Morley von Sternberg
Can google compete with Apple in terms of material design?

25-Oct-2012
Can bright pipes and G-bikes help Google prove it takes design as seriously as its rivals, asks Rory Olcayto
Hadid mulls practice title change

19-Oct-2012
Zaha Hadid has said business partner Patrick Shumacher ‘needs to commit himself’ before world-renowned practice is renamed Hadid Shumacher Architects
Thinking Swiss: Kunsthalle Zürich

18-Oct-2012
Sponsored by a supermarket and dedicated to contempory art, Kunsthalle Zürich is a unique model for regeneration, writes Rory Olcayto
The countryside is not as empty as you think

18-Oct-2012
The countryside is transforming into something new, writes Rory Olcayto
Stirling Prize 2012: Olympic Stadium by Populous

10-Oct-2012
‘Those watching the Olympics on telly were struck by its graphic simplicity: it looked good in 2D, an icon in the purest sense,’ writes Rory Olcayto
Black box: Hepworth and Lyric are the Stirling Prize frontrunners

9-Oct-2012
Stirling Prize jury comments are always revealing, writes Rory Olcayto
Heavy entertainment

8-Oct-2012
Jonathan Meades hates architects ‘who think they can solve everything’ and says hell is a John Pawson home. But really, he’s on your side. Rory Olcayto meets him
Black Box: ‘London shall be all in flames’

4-Oct-2012
China Miéville’s London’s Overthrow uncovers a capital on the brink of meltdown, writes Rory Olcayto
Architects and the New Aesthetic manifesto

29-Sep-2012
The New Aesthetic viral manifesto articulates the digital impetus in the shaping of the world, writes Rory Olcayto
Piano at Oslo gallery opening: 'The white cube approach is wrong'

28-Sep-2012
Renzo Piano has dismissed the ‘white cube’ approach to gallery design in a wide ranging talk to mark the opening of his £65million Astrup Fearnley Museet in Oslo
Piers Taylor: Visible man

21-Sep-2012
Interview: Piers Taylor’s very public rebirth seems to be paying off - Invisible Studio has been busy from day one, says Rory Olcayto
Between the cracks: Stillpoint by Piers Taylor

20-Sep-2012
Piers Taylor’s Stillpoint project in Bath is typical of good new architecture in the city - hidden from view, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Peter Cook
Moving towards PRrchitecture

20-Sep-2012
Black box: Pop-up practice Pernilla & Asif brought PRchitecture to the masses, writes Rory Olcayto
City of Dredd

13-Sep-2012
Dredd’s Mega City One is one of the most interesting urban design projects ever attempted, writes Rory Olcayto
The new Manser Medal rules undermine the RIBA's message on architectural quality

13-Sep-2012
Houses that were not good enough for a full-blown RIBA Award are good enough for the top house award. Confused?
Starchitects think journalists should toe the line

6-Sep-2012
That’s not how it works, says Rory Olcayto
Cypriot common ground

6-Sep-2012
The historic link between Venice and Istanbul could help Nicosia find Common Ground, writes Rory Olcayto
David Partridge: Diversity is key to King's Cross' success

5-Sep-2012
Five years since Argent last addressed an AJ100 Breakfast Club, joint chief executive David Partridge told delegates at the quarterly Claridges event this morning: ‘There is a diversity of different uses at its heart – that makes King’s Cross a place that people want to go to’
Venice Biennale: Five points towards a new architecture

4-Sep-2012
The marginal role of the contemporary architect is central to David Chipperfield’s show, says Rory Olcayto
It's the journey that counts...

28-Aug-2012
Getting to this year’s Venice Biennale was an experience in itself, found Rory Olcayto
Shh! Don't tell anyone about Sergison Bates' house in Cadaqués

16-Aug-2012
Stephen Bates’ Casa Voltes won’t stay secret for long. And that’s unforgivable, writes Rory Olcayto
What the doctor ordered: Penoyre & Prasad’s Olympic Village Health Centre

2-Aug-2012
Speed of delivery, response to context and design quality make Penoyre & Prasad’s East Village Health Centre an instructive object lesson in civic architecture, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Tim Soar
The 2012 Olympics’ opening ceremony was really very English, not British

2-Aug-2012
Key elements made it very clear Boyle’s extravaganza was deeply English, writes Rory Olcayto
End-of-the-world student projects should be welcomed by the profession

26-Jul-2012
However alienated and doom-laded the explorations, we need students’ speculative creative energy, writes Rory Olcayto
Scuzzy Shoreditch's Tea Building: The triumph of AHMM's white collar funhouse

19-Jul-2012
Rory Olcayto visits the continually evolving Tea Building, AHMM’s white collar funhouse in Shoreditch, London
TFL's cartoonish athletes catch your eye and stick in the mind

19-Jul-2012
Capturing the essence of London was one hurdle too many for the artists of the Olympics posters, writes Rory Olcayto
In pictures: Sketch-a-facade victors celebrated

12-Jul-2012
The winners, jury and sponsors of the AJ/Kingspan Benchmark Sketch-a-Facade competition came together yesterday for a lunch at the Rivington Grill in Shoreditch, London.
What do Owen Hatherley and Gregory’s Girl have in common? “Glorious” Cumbernauld

12-Jul-2012
You could do a lot worse than look to the concrete new town of Cumbernauld for inspiration, writes Rory Olcayto
Competition - Win 'Prometheus chair'

5-Jul-2012
The AJ is giving readers the chance to win an Omni armchair used on-set in Ridley Scott’s blockbuster Prometheus
What’s the architectural equivalent of Prometheus?

5-Jul-2012
I think we might need some new ideas – for just about everything, worries Rory Olcayto
Get your pencils out

28-Jun-2012
The winner, runners-up and student winner of the AJ/Kingspan Benchmark Sketch a Facade competition
Architects could ruin UK’s finest gridiron townscape with lazy urban design

28-Jun-2012
Don’t wreck one of Britain’s finest gridiron townscapes with gimmicky urban design, pleads Rory Olcayto
Rory Olcayto: 'These six buildings should make the Stirling shortlist'

21-Jun-2012
These six buildings should make the Stirling shortlist. Why? Just because, writes Rory Olcayto
How the RIBA Awards 2012 were judged

21-Jun-2012
Rory Olcayto explains how this year’s 50 RIBA Award-winning projects were selected
Findlay's Way

14-Jun-2012
Now that the ArcelorMittal Orbit is up, its most outstanding architectural feature is the long walk down, finds Rory Olcayto
Peckham is my number 23

14-Jun-2012
The Theory of the 436 Bus Route explains why Peckham is an emerging epicentre, writes Rory Olcayto
Things that make you go ‘oooh!’

7-Jun-2012
One outstanding, exquisite piece captivated the judges of this year’s RA Summer Exhibition Architecture Prize, writes Rory Olcayto
Picture imperfect

7-Jun-2012
Losing O’Donnell +Tuomey so early in the process has left the Photographers’ Gallery feeling architecturally light. Photography by Anthony Coleman
Pattern recognition is central to what architects do, as the Topkapi Scroll shows

7-Jun-2012
Black Box: Copying patterns is what architects do for a living
Eastanbul, Westanbul or just Istanbul? If you’re looking to work there, engage with it like locals

31-May-2012
Black Box: Opportunities in Istanbul for British architects and urban designers are huge
What does space-time look like? An obscure comic published in 1989 has the answer

24-May-2012
Black Box: Architects have never been very good at conveying the passing of time in presentations of the buildings they design
We should look to Copenhagen’s subtle streets as a model for public realm design

17-May-2012
Black Box: How did contemporary public realm design succumb to an overly self-conscious aesthetic?
Jacques Herzog on designing the 2012 Serpentine Pavilion

10-May-2012
The full transcript of the interview between the AJ’s Rory Olcayto and Jacques Herzog, the co-designer of this year’s Serpentine Pavilion
An interview with Jacques Herzog

10-May-2012
Jacques Herzog talks to the AJ’s Rory Olcayto about war, pop-up buildings, fun park offices and why the focus on London is not good for the rest of the UK
Interview: Herzog & de Meuron on why the Serpentine Pavilion is going underground for 2012

10-May-2012
The Pritzker Prize-winning duo tell Rory Olcayto why they chose to uncover the foundations of former Serpentine pavilions for their own collaboration with Ai Weiwei this year
Big taught us that work should be fun, but it might be time for our offices to grow up

10-May-2012
Black Box: They should screen Big at the British Council for Offices annual conference
Grundtvig’s Church, probably the best brick building in the world

3-May-2012
Black Box: Which building would have won a Brick Award in 1940?
The story of Goldibox

26-Apr-2012
Hugh Broughton’s golden wing is surprisingly good value for money, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Hufton + Crow
‘Provincial’ is a lazy term

26-Apr-2012
The gallery scene outside London has always been cultured, writes Rory Olcayto
Sacred space

19-Apr-2012
The drive to build places of worship began when hunter-gatherers first erected pillars at Göbekli Tepe 12,000 years ago and hasn’t stopped since
Mimar Sinan was one of the world’s best architects of religious buildings

19-Apr-2012
Black Box: The architect of many of the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul
Do clients ever know what they will get when they hire an architect to design a one-off home?

5-Apr-2012
Grand Designs Revisited - an exercise that more architects should follow
A bold attempt at regeneration or an icon too far? Titanic Belfast is a little of both

29-Mar-2012
When Titanic Belfast - the World’s Largest Titanic Visitor Experience - opens on Saturday, locals will be confronted by a curious sculptural mass rising out of the city’s derelict dockland
Moebius: Floating citadels and all-city planets

22-Mar-2012
Moebius was the master of sci-fi architecture, writes Rory Olcayto
Black Box: The Big Apple, I♥NY, 9/11...

15-Mar-2012
It’s time New York called in the Mad Men for a rebrand
Black box: At the movies in Glasgow

8-Mar-2012
Next time you see the streets of San Fran, Philly or NY at the flicks, it’s probably Glasgow, writes Rory Olcayto
Exhibition standard

8-Mar-2012
Dixon Jones’ shared space overhaul of Exhibition Road, London’s premium museum quarter, gives visitors the time to linger and look at some of the capital’s finest architecture
Black Box: Invoked Computing

1-Mar-2012
Here’s a way to ease off the carbon: retrofit everyday objects as well as buildings, writes Rory Olcayto
Familiar Faces

23-Feb-2012
Page\Park’s retrofit of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery paints as detailed a picture of the country’s cultural character as the works within
Prejudice and amateurism within the ARB board

23-Feb-2012
Prejudice, stupidity, hypocrisy: the email leak has exposed harsh truths about the ARB board, writes Rory Olcayto
This, Mr Gove, is how to create a great school

9-Feb-2012
If the Education Secretary is out of ideas for schools, he should read the AJ – or ring up his Irish equivalent, writes Rory Olcayto
New Court, Rothschild Bank headquarters, London, by OMA

2-Feb-2012
Visible/invisible, public/private, iconic/bland: OMA’s Rothschild Bank is simultaneously contradictory, but pulls it off, writes Rory Olcayto
Exclusive interview with Chris Platt: The Mackintosh head with a ‘Glasgow voice’

20-Jan-2012
In his first interview since becoming head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Chris Platt tells Rory Olcayto how he wants to influence Steven Holl’s controversial new campus building
2011: The year of iconus horribilis

14-Dec-2011
Rory Olcayto, deputy editor
Stop trying to profit from architectural relics

8-Dec-2011
Not every derelict building is a commercial opportunity, as Cardross and Battersea show, writes Rory Olcayto
Roath Lock Studios, Cardiff, by FAT and Holder Mathias Architects

1-Dec-2011
FAT’s half-metre thick, clip-on facade for Cardiff’s BBC studios is a poster boy for procurement today, writes Rory Olcayto
Calling all architects: It's time to think big

24-Nov-2011
If the government refuses to consider grand schemes, then architects should do it for them, writes Rory Olcayto
Global re-thinking

24-Nov-2011
The new slum, space colonies orbiting Earth, eco-cities built from scratch, ‘back-up’ capitals for emergencies… RoryOlcayto presents an overview of the world’s most radical sustainable design ideas
Ian Martin on satire, Berthold Lubetkin and wafty lofty types

27-Oct-2011
‘We were skint and I needed work’: Rory Olcayto interviews AJ columnist and ‘The Thick of It’ writer Ian Martin on his life in architectural journalism
AJ exclusive: Rem Koolhaas interview

21-Oct-2011
Read the AJ’s exclusive interview with Rem Koolhaas by Rory Olcayto
Maggie's Centre, Gartnavel Hospital, Glasgow by OMA

20-Oct-2011
Rem Koolhaas has typically broken with convention with his doughnut-shaped, non-cosy Maggie’s Centre. And where’s the kitchen? Rory Olcayto goes on a walk
The Stirling Prize was right to ignore the Scots

20-Oct-2011
The Doolan shortlist is worthy of attention, just don’t pretend it’s world class, writes Rory Olcayto
Masterplanning - York Heslington East Campus, York, by BDP

14-Oct-2011
The success of BDP’s masterplan for York’s Heslington East campus relies on five key moves
Apocalypse Then: John Martin at Tate Britain

13-Oct-2011
John Martin’s paintings of biblical disaster have influenced artists and filmmakers for years, but his greatest admirer was an architect, writes Rory Olcayto
Rem Koolhaas turns back on cities

13-Oct-2011
Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) founder Rem Koolhaas has said he will abandon urbanism to focus on the countryside
Firstsite, Colchester, Essex, by Rafael Viñoly Architects

13-Oct-2011
Gold Rush - Colchester is the latest town to receive a unique cultural landmark, but is Rafael Viñoly’s delayed golden crescent worth its wait?
If you want to live longer, buy a ground-floor flat, says Rory Olcayto

29-Sep-2011
Last week, something truly incredible happened at CERN, the world-famous centre for nuclear research in Switzerland: very tiny objects – neutrinos – were observed to have travelled faster than the speed of light.
Museum Folkwang by David Chipperfield Architects

29-Sep-2011
What is it that David Chipperfield uniquely does? … He does architecture better than any of his contemporaries, says Rory Olcayto
Architecture isn’t immune to TV’s love of yoof speak and psycho-wash

22-Sep-2011
Rory Olcayto discusses the Secret Life of Buildings on Channel 4
White collar factory

15-Sep-2011
A new architectural typology is gaining currency in London’s workplaces, spearheaded by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, writes Rory Olcayto
Museum of Liverpool, Mann Island, Liverpool by 3XN/AEW

15-Sep-2011
From its ill-thought out commission, to its flawed execution, the Museum of Liverpool dispels the myth of the once heralded ‘Bilbao effect’, writes Rory Olcayto
Design competitions are ‘abusive’, says Viñoly

15-Sep-2011
International starchitect Rafael Viñoly has hit out at the competitions process, claiming design contests are ‘abusive’ and calling for a new process
Dune, Brightlingsea, by Walter Menteth Architects

4-Aug-2011
A grass-topped refuge on the Essex coast brings sand, light and space to Walter Menteth’s unique take on shape and colour, writes Rory Olcayto
Dilston Grove Refurbishment, Bermondsey, London, by Walter Menteth Architects

4-Aug-2011
Walter Menteth’s deliberately raw refurbishment of two decrepit sacred shells has transformed the best-kept arts secret in Britain, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Ben Blossom
Page\Park unveils new granite-clad cloister for Glasgow’s Metropolitan Cathedral

4-Aug-2011
A £4.4m refurbishment and extension of St Andrew’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Glasgow has been completed by Page\Park Architects
St Patrick's School extension, London, by Coffey Architects

14-Jul-2011
Coffey Architects’ thoughtful extension at St Patrick’s School in north London has given pupils an inspiring space to read, play music and perform. Photography by Tim Soar
Westborough School, Westcliff-on-Sea, by Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture

14-Jul-2011
Green generation: as a champion for a greener ethos in school design, Cottrell & Vermeulen Architecture has put its theory on sustainable refurbishment to the test at Westborough School, Westcliff-on-Sea. Photography by Anthony Coleman
Wonderful Copenhagen

23-Jun-2011
Copenhagen’s now legitimate Freetown sets a radical precedent for the Big Society, says Rory Olcayto
RIBA Awards 2011: Introduction

16-Jun-2011
There are 89 British winners this year, four less than 2010, split among 80 firms - Hopkins, with four winners, leads the pack, although three Scottish firms, Page\Park, Richard Murphy and Sutherland Hussey each bagged two
Riverside Museum, Glasgow, by Zaha Hadid Architects

8-Jun-2011
The beautifully built Riverside Museum proves hiring Zaha Hadid was the right thing for Glasgow, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Hufton + Crow
BCO Conference Special: a walk around the Rolex Learning Centre

26-May-2011
Two views of the Sanaa-designed Rolex Learning Centre by visiting BCO delegates Paul Sandilands and David Lawrence
BCO Conference Special: the future of offices in the age of the ‘clickizen’

26-May-2011
Rory Olcayto reports from the British Council for Offices annual conference, held in Geneva this month
Corby Cube, Corby, Northamptonshire, by Hawkins\Brown

5-May-2011
Hawkins\Brown’s multi-tasking Corby Cube pulls off the risks it takes and may become the template for public buildings, writes Rory Olcayto
6 houses by 6 practices

14-Apr-2011
Rory Olcayto introduces six recently built homes by six British architects: three urban, three rural, each in distinct locations across the British Isles
The James Review calls for an intelligent client; Saudi Arabia opts for dimwitted hubris

14-Apr-2011
Governments should make use of architects, but architects should be wary of governments, writes Rory Olcayto
The Briggait Market Halls, Glasgow by Nicoll Russell Studios

31-Mar-2011
Nicoll Russell Studios’ loving retrofit of The Briggait market halls has given Glasgow a vital new arts hub, writes Rory Olcayto
Neo Bankside, London, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

17-Mar-2011
Bright colours, external structure, exquisitely detailed… Neo Bankside is trademark Richard Rogers, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Ben Blossom
Here's a new plan: Straight talking

10-Mar-2011
Plain speaking when it comes to planning could help the public reconnect with the process, says Rory Olcayto
Refurbishment, London, by Atmos Studio

3-Mar-2011
Atmos Studio’s staircase heralds the coming of a new modernist expression yet to find a name, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Ben Blossom
Sci-fi design and Biomass plants

24-Feb-2011
Biomass plants form an exciting plan to power Scotland. Rory Olcayto finds a dynamic aesthetic at the heart of Gordon Murray Architects’ vision
Hampstead Lane, London by Duggan Morris Architects

17-Feb-2011
Brutalist and yet beautiful, Duggan Morris’ revamp for Graham Stirk demonstrates the good that can come when architects work together.
Attending this year’s MIPIM will be tough for many, but exposure at the event is key, says Rory Olcayto

3-Feb-2011
Nottingham City Council made the tough decision not to go to MIPIM this year in face of the government cuts, but that’s not going to stop Team Nottingham, a private sector led team – including local practice CPMG Architects – representing the city.
Rory Olcayto on criticism - The mysterious contents of Banham’s black box

13-Jan-2011
What’s in the Black Box? More than 20 years after Reyner Banham questioned how to recognise the elusive qualities of good architecture in his essay, A Black Box: The Secret Profession of Architecture, today’s architecture critics are still no closer to knowing.
Baldry Gardens Health Centre, New Cross, London by Henley Halebrown Rorrison

9-Dec-2010
The design of Henley Halebrown Rorrison’s Baldry Gardens Health Centre won’t make you better, but it will cheer you up, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Nick Kane
Waldron Health Centre, New Cross, London by Henley Halebrown Rorrison

9-Dec-2010
Waldron Health Centre is evidence of a public-private initiative that New Labour got right, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Nick Kane
Architecture, the ultimate fame game

2-Dec-2010
Clients and architects alike are hungry for it: fame really is good for business, says Rory Olcayto
Two Alsop Sparch projects – and one Sparch project

29-Nov-2010
These three quite different projects, a school, a sports pavilion and a cruise terminal, originated in the same office – Alsop’s Battersea studio in south London
Shanghai International Cruise Terminal, Shanghai, by Sparch Architects

25-Nov-2010
Though not yet complete, the ‘Shanghai Chandelier’ is already able to overwhelm the senses, reports Rory Olcayto. Photography by Christian Richters
One New Change, London, by Ateliers Jean Nouvel/ Sidell Gibson Architects

11-Nov-2010
[BUILDING STUDY] Most iconic architecture is downright rude – but One New Change is (almost) polite, says Rory Olcayto.
Stealing sustainability

21-Oct-2010
Architects may never get project management back, so let’s not give away sustainability too, says Rory Olcayto
McManus Galleries, Dundee, by Page\Park

23-Sep-2010
In Dundee, Page\Park has redesigned Albert Square and refurbished the historic McManus Galleries using the gothic arch, or vesica piscis, as inspiration, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Andrew Lee
The history of Ottoman architecture needs further discussion, says Rory Olcayto

16-Sep-2010
[THIS WEEK] On page one of her introduction to The Age of Sinan: Architectural Culture in the Ottoman Empire, Professor Gülru Necipoglu complains that the great 16th century architect has been coloured by ‘universalist’ and ‘national’ paradigms of orientalism that utterly fail to historicise his work’
Thornton Heath Library, Croydon, by FAT

16-Sep-2010
FAT’s architecture isn’t exactly subtle, but its Thornton Heath Library is cleverly designed and impeccably detailed, says Rory Olcayto
King’s Grove, Peckham, South London, by Duggan Morris Architects

9-Sep-2010
A new house by Duggan Morris Architects revels in its location amid the back gardens of the surrounding terraces in south-east London, writes Rory Olcayto
Small Animal Hospital, Glasgow, by Archial Architects

1-Sep-2010
Archial Architects’ reputation soared when it won the RIAS Andrew Doolan prize for its Small Animal Hospital last year. But is this really Scotland’s best building, or just bad British architecture, asks Rory Olcayto. Photography by Andrew Lee
‘Localism can, and does, improve the quality of the built environment’

29-Jul-2010
In this personal account of urban regeneration in south London, Rory Olcayto juxtaposes a top-down development in Elephant and Castle with ground-up localism in Peckham
Dunshaughlin Pastoral Centre, County Meath, Ireland, by McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects

15-Jul-2010
McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects’ Dunshaughlin Pastoral Centre is a vibrant heart for a recession-struck Irish community, says Rory Olcayto.Photography by Richard Hatch
Pop-up café reappears atop London multi-storey car park

9-Jul-2010
This is Frank’s Café, a temporary rooftop pavilion in Peckham, south-east London
BCIA contenders announced

18-Jun-2010
Forty-six UK and international projects have been shortlisted for this year’s British Construction Industry Awards (BCIA)
British Council for Offices annual conference 2010

15-Jun-2010
Rory Olcayto reports from this year’s British Council for Offices annual conference, held in London for the first time in 17 years. Main image by Cityscape Digital
Capital Recovery: BCO Conference 2010

10-Jun-2010
Rory Olcayto reports from this year’s British Council for Offices annual conference, held in London for the first time in 17 years. Image by Cityscape Digital
Is the office as workplace really dead? No, in fact it’s making a comeback

10-Jun-2010
One of the feistiest debates at this year’s British Council for Offices conference (AJ 10.06.10) was in the closing panel session, ‘How We Work and Why We Work’ - witnessed by Rory Olcayto
AJ100 2010 interview: David Selby, Hopkins Architects

20-May-2010
‘We have also won some great projects, such as Brent Civic Centre, and have a number in the pipeline.’
AJ100 2010 interview: Neil Gillespie, Reiach & Hall

20-May-2010
‘We have been very fortunate so far’
Libeskind: the geopolitical architect

13-May-2010
Daniel Libeskind is the only starchitect working today who dares to take a political stance, says Rory Olcayto
The Measurers - Three Classicists at RIBA

6-May-2010
Ben Pentreath, George Saumarez Smith & Francis Terry exhibit their classical drawings and work
Findlay to work on Orbit tower

5-May-2010
Ushida Findlay Architects has been appointed to work on Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond’s controversial £19 million ArcelorMittal Orbit tower at the Olympic Park in London
Leaf House, by James Gorst Architects

30-Apr-2010
[BUILDING STUDY + DRAWINGS] Behind the inscrutable facade of James Gorst Architects’ Leaf House are some sober, but beautifully detailed and unusually proportioned interior spaces, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Hélène Binet
Elmgreen School, West Norwood, London, by Scott Brownrigg

25-Mar-2010
Despite a ‘could do better’ report from CABE, the client and pupils of Scott Brownrigg’s new Elmgreen School seem happy enough. Rory Olcayto visits the parent-promoted school in south London
Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff, by Ash Sakula Architects

11-Mar-2010
With careful reorganisation and the salvaging of details hidden in the building fabric, Ash Sakula Architects has given Chapter Arts Centre the home it deserves, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Andy Haslam
The eagle is moving: American Embassy comes to Nine Elms

25-Feb-2010
America’s best architects have risen to the challenge of a complex, detailed brief, writes Rory Olcayto, as the AJ presents all four shortlisted designs for the new US Embassy
Design a new roof for St Paul’s

17-Feb-2010
Reimagine the roofs of St Paul’s, One Canada Square or Didcot Power Station in the Redland/AJ Design a Roof competition
The green screen: Avatar, Moon and Wall-e

11-Feb-2010
Ecology is a recurring theme in science fiction, but two recent movies, Avatar and Moon, suggest mankind will continue to plunder its resources – both here on Earth and in alien worlds, writes Rory Olcayto
The uncanny Scots: A decade in architecture

22-Dec-2009
The best Scottish buildings of the past decade revive a weird and wonderful tradition. Rory Olcayto presents the highlight of each year
'Shocking, unexpected and genuinely thrilling': My Peckham Christmas present

17-Dec-2009
Architects who turn derelict sites into places worth living in are modern-day alchemists, says Rory Olcayto
Croydon and the future of British town planning

3-Dec-2009
The UK’s youngest local urban design team is using speed-dates to map the future of London’s southernmost borough. Rory Olcayto reports. Portrait by Richard Nicholson
Swiss mosque minaret ban is tragic legislation

3-Dec-2009
Switzerland’s ban on minarets is a bizarre and troubling piece of law-making, says Rory Olcayto
Bonn Square, Oxford by Graeme Massie Architects

5-Nov-2009
Graeme Massie Architects’ design for Bonn Square has encouraged the public to reclaim the historic but neglected space for itself, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by David Stewart
Video: Top 5 comic book cities

23-Oct-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
How to pick a Stirling Prize winner

19-Oct-2009
Rory Olcayto goes behind the scenes on the 2009 judges’ tour
The British Construction Industry Awards knows what to look for in a great project

15-Oct-2009
Rory Olcayto enjoyed his part in an awards scheme that has the right judges - and selects the right projects
The Mill, Ipswich by John Lyall Architects

6-Oct-2009
John Lyall Architects’ dense waterfront development in Ipswich heralds the maturation of a new kind of architectural expression, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Morley Von Sternberg
The termination of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link could harm Britain's creative prospects

5-Oct-2009
We should all have an interest in Glasgow’s fortunes, the city which gave us Thompson, Mackintosh, Metztein and MacMillan and their epoch-defining architectural designs
Open House London: The AJ's selection

11-Aug-2009
Open House London, the capital’s largest architectural showcase, will take place on 19 & 20 September with more than 700 buildings providing free access
Eco-towns are truly dead

24-Jul-2009
Leader: Don’t believe the hype – eco-towns are well and truly dead, says Rory Olcayto
Great North Museum, Newcastle, by Terry Farrell and Partners

9-Jul-2009
Terry Farrell reinvigorates regeneration in Newcastle, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Andrew Haslam
Top 10 comic book cities: #1 Mega City One

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities: #2 Chris Ware’s Chicago

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities: #3 From Hell’s London

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal selects the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities: #4 Daredevil’s New York

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities: #5 The city in Moebius’ The Long Tomorrow

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities: #6 Gotham City

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities: #7 Urbicand

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities: #8 Metropolis

8-Jul-2009
From Radiant City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
Top 10 comic book cities

8-Jul-2009
From Gotham City to Mega City One, the Architects’ Journal presents a selection of the greatest illustrated urban spaces
City of Justice, Barcelona, Spain, by David Chipperfield Architects

18-Jun-2009
David Chipperfield and b720’s City of Justice in Barcelona is legible at every scale, from site plan to detail design, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Christian Richters
Jerwood School of Design, Oakham School, Leicestershire, by Project Orange

11-Jun-2009
Project Orange demonstrates a healthy pragmatism at this design school, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Gareth Gardner
The new austerity

11-Jun-2009
While government-funded schools fizz with in-your-face architecture, two recent private schools are simple and serene, finds Rory Olcayto
The future of office design

4-Jun-2009
Rory Olcayto reports on last month’s surprisingly optimistic British Council for Offices conference
AJ100 interview: Mark Goldspink, Purcell Miller Tritton

28-May-2009
‘Booms and busts aren’t good, but you must come out the other end stronger’
AJ100 interview: Chris Williamson, Weston Williamson

28-May-2009
‘I can’t imagine anyone thinking this a great time to be an architect - though it is exciting’
Word cloud of Prince Charles' speeches: 1984 and 2009

13-May-2009
Visualisation firm Hayes Davidson has created this word cloud of Prince Charles’ two speeches at the RIBA.
Supported housing: designing for care

7-May-2009
Is supported housing in the UK receiving the attention it should from designers? Rory Olcayto introduces a cross-section of projects in the sector
Take care (seriously)

7-May-2009
Quality of life, not just ease of maintenance, should inform designs for supported housing, says Rory Olcayto
Supported housing: a neglected sector

7-May-2009
Rory Olcayto brings a group of architects together to discuss the complexities of designing supported housing
British Embassy, Bangkok by MJP Architects

5-May-2009
In the heart of one of the world’s most populous cities is a hymn to a particular kind of Englishness. Rory Olcayto reports on MJP’s attempt to give the Thai British embassy a new beat
Yew Tree Lodge by Duggan Morris Architects

3-Apr-2009
Duggan Morris has refined another architect’s sheltered-housing scheme, making it the kind of thoughtful building this sector needs, says Rory Olcayto. Photography by Edmund Sumner
Routemaster bus is gateway to London

26-Mar-2009
Last year, cartoonist Ralph Steadman launched the AJ-backed competition to design an entrance to London. Here, we reveal the winning entries…
A catalyst for Birmingham - round table

12-Mar-2009
Exclusive: The AJ meets Catalyst Education, preferred bidder for Birmingham City Council’s £2.4 billion BSF programme
A guide to good school design

12-Mar-2009
Hampshire County Council has six simple rules that have kept it at the forefront of school design, says Rory Olcayto
Herbert Museum extension in Coventry by Pringle Richards Sharratt

27-Feb-2009
In the shadow of St Michael’s Cathedral, Pringle Richards Sharratt’s extension to the Herbert Museum re-imagines Coventry as complex and ambiguous, writes Rory Olcayto
Architecture in Scotland

24-Feb-2009
Features editor Rory Olcayto on Scottish architecture
Urban Design Scholarships: Alicia Pivaro, Royal Albert Dock

20-Jan-2009
At first sight the Royal Albert Dock seems defined by mega-structures and vast, open spaces in which a community would struggle to develop. Alicia Pivaro has other ideas
Istanbul and Beyond: Selected Projects of Tabanlioglu Architects

16-Dec-2008
Istanbul and Beyond: Selected Projects of Tabanlioglu ArchitectsUntil 22 December 2008 66, Portland Place, London, W1B 1ADT-Projects T-Projects edited by Pamela Johnston, AA.
Modern Turkish

11-Dec-2008
Turkey has more to offer than domes and amphitheatres, as this exhibition shows, says Rory Olcayto
Softroom's Sackler Centre at the Victoria and Albert museum

2-Dec-2008
Softroom’s interior for the Victoria & Albert Museum reconciles virtual models with the art of making things, writes Rory Olcayto. Photography by Dennis Gilbert
The AJ/RPS Urban Design Scholarships with Design for London

31-Oct-2008
Three AJ readers are working on an urban design project of their choice with the London Mayor’s urban design agency
Ralph Steadman: 'London is a Frankenstein city'

16-Oct-2008
Rory Olcayto meets cartoonist Ralph Steadman, whose monstrous vision for an arch on the Thames Gateway launches the GEZE in partnership with The Architects Journal competition to design an entrance to London.For competition details click here or go to www.gezecompetition.co.uk
Renzo Piano's Shard to be built despite market meltdown

7-Oct-2008
The Shard will begin on site next year despite the economic downtown, developer Sellar Property Group has said.
Renzo Piano's Shard to be built despite market meltdown – see video

7-Oct-2008
The Shard will begin on site next year despite the economic downtown, developer Sellar Property Group has said.
Burscough Bridge regeneration, Lancashire by BCA Landscape

26-Sep-2008
In one of the most inventive townscape regeneration projects in recent years, this spring Liverpool-based BCA Landscape completed a £1 million environmental improvement project for the Lancashire village of Burscough Bridge.
What does BDP stand for?

25-Sep-2008
Britain’s biggest practice has an image problem. Rory Olcayto visits BDP’s Manchester HQ to try to understand the firm’s design and culture. Photography by Martine Hamilton Knight
Gareth Hoskins' Scottish pavilion unveiled at Venice Biennale

12-Sep-2008
It’s great to see these images of 'Gathering Space'. Gareth Hoskins’ design is Scotland’s first purpose-built exhibition space for the Venice Biennale.
Vassall Road housing, London by Tony Fretton Architects

10-Sep-2008
Tony Fretton's housing and medical centre in London epitomises the 'peculiar conditions' of housing provision in the UK.Photography by Peter Cook.
David Chipperfield's Hepworth Gallery takes shape in Wakefield

15-Aug-2008
David Chipperfield’s Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield is now midway through its construction programme.

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Architects Journal
Rory Olcayto