Great Architecture
Last week saw the annual bash of the Royal Institute of British Architects, where fellowships are awarded and the annual gold medal is handed out. The fellowships, international and honorary, went to some worthy candidates, my favourite being Dr Victoria Harris, who, get this, has a BSc in astrophysics and a PhD in nuclear physics and in psychiatry. Blimey. Anyway, now she spends her time running Architects for Aid which works on humanitarian builidng and shelter ventures around the world. She should probably be running the country.
Nick Raynsford, the former planning minister got a fellowship, as did rather more controversially Ken Livingstone. ken of course, has done much for architecture, in the sense that he has allowed some important buildings to go up. But others, including me, are concerned that this rush for development is ruining the London skyline, and we may regret it in years to come.
The gold medal is the biggest deal, however. It’s been awarded annually since 1848, it’s in the Queen’s gift, and it has gone to Barry, Gilbert Scott, Lutyens, Frank Lloyd Wright, Pevsner, Summerson, Rogers etc etc. This year it went to Herzog and de Meuron, the architects of Tate Bankside who are now working on an equally radical extension to the country’s most successful gallery. This was a well deserved honour for two architects who first met at primary school when they were seven and have effectively worked together since!