Design Council Cabe and London Legacy Development Corporation chair Daniel Moylan have thrown their weight behind the RIBA’s ‘Drop the ban’ campaign
More from: Brady celebrates Olympic marketing victory
On Friday president Angela Brady unfurled a banner at the institution’s London headquarters naming all the architects involved in creating the venues, temporary structures and accommodation for the London Games in defiance of the controversial marketing gagging order (see below).
Now it has emerged DC Cabe and Moylan have joined the growing support for the RIBA ‘guerrilla war’ against LOCOG rules preventing design and construction firms from advertising their association with the Games in a bid to protect sponsorship rights.
Design Council trustee Rab Bennetts said: ‘Design Council Cabe feels equally strongly that the ban should be lifted.
‘We discussed holding some kind of London 2012 projects exhibition some time ago and were told it was not legally possible, which is absurd.’
Others to have joined the campaign are the Landscape Institute and the British Interior design institute (BIID).
‘Ungagged’ Peter Murray and RIBA President Angela Brady and John Nolan of ISE at the ‘name drop’ of Olympic architects: Portland Place 3 August
Previous story (03.08.2012)
Brady turns to guerrilla tactics to promote gagged Olympic architects
The RIBA has celebrated the architects behind the 2012 Olympics in defiance of the controversial marketing gagging order
Earlier today (3 August) RIBA president Angela Brady unfurled a banner at the institution’s London headquarters naming all the architects involved in creating the venues, temporary structures and accommodation for the London Games.
London 2012 organising body LOCOG has imposed rules preventing design and construction firms from advertising their association with the Games in a bid to protect sponsorship rights.
Brady, who appeared in a homemade dress with ironed-on images of Olympic buildings, was joined by architects, engineers and supporters of the initiative who gathered beneath the scroll chanting ‘lift the ban’.
She told the AJ: ‘Now is the time to stand up for our architects. I really thought they were going to lift the barring of architects and engineers the day they opened the games. The eyes of the world are on London right now and what are we doing to show off?
‘We’ve got 17 events by UKTI and the government to promote UK PLC to a world audience [yet] we’ve got a gagging order on the very people who should have the credit. I hope the ban will be lifted today.’
Many architects have felt frustarted by the punitive marketing protocol, especially those that were not involved in designing the main arena. Susan Carruth, an associate at Piercy Connor, told AJ this week: ‘We haven’t experienced any direct increase in enquiries or workload as a result of the Games because we haven’t been able to advertise our involvement.’
The AJ’s Paul Finch this week called for the country’s architects to be given the applause and appreciation they deserve for their work on London’s 2012 Games.
More than 40 practices helped design showcase venues, the Olympic Park and the Athletes’ Village.
A gagged Peter Murray with the name drop banner
Other comments:
Alex Scott-Whitby, director of Studio AR and associate member of RIBA council
‘This is definitely a sign of things to come. The RIBA is shifting from being a sleepy institution to being a more pro-active and dynamicthink-tank. This shows the RIBA are doing more and better things to promote architects- not only with the Olympics but with other things going forwards.
This wouldn’t have happened three years ago. The RIBA is changing in response to a kind of Arab Spring that’s taken place over the past year.’
John Nolan, president of The Institution of Structural Engineers (ISE)
‘All of these buildings are wonderful pieces of architecture but they’re also wonderful examples of engineering and they’re an example to the world of what construction GB can do. The practices that are involved are not in a position to advertise the fact – that’s lunacy.’
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Readers' comments (3)
Nigel Reading4 August, 2012 8:10 am
That's the kind of intelligent, assertive, pro-actively asymmetric, paradigm-shifting, disruptive and principled leadership we need. You should be appointed RIBA President for life.
Well done Angela!
Nigel Anthony Reading RIBA
Design Director
ASYNSIS
Ideas Realised
Shanghai Hong Kong London
asynsis.com
asynsis.wordpress.com
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Robert Wakeham6 August, 2012 10:55 am
Good for Angela - I wonder what would happen if the RIBA ran a members-only survey (with the widest possible publicity) to rank the Olympic buildings in order of merit? Hanging, drawing and quartering, or despatch to a slave labour camp to build the new airport on Rainham marshes?
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Joanne -6 August, 2012 3:24 pm
As an architectural educator from Canada I now understand why the only two structures that have received any international press are the Orbit Tower (by Arcelormittal, so marketing included in the name) and Zaha's pool (the Dame must be known)! I attempted to visit the Olympic site in March and was met by high security and a very tall fence with a grid so small that I could not even see through most parts. Olympic architecture should be celebrated and not hidden. The Olympic venues would likely get more sponsorship if someone even knew about them. Better for PR.
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