# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 2 # ( SIGNIFICANT IN THEMSELVES OR BECAUSE OF THEIR SITES -ANY OF THE CASES REFERRED TO US CONCERN QUESTIONS OF NEW ARCHITECTURE IN HISTORIC CONTEXTS ! SELECTION OF RECENT CASES SEEN BY OUR DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE WILL GIVE A FLAVOUR OF THE ISSUES WHICH ARISE ,AST YEAR #!"% APPEARED AT A PUBLIC INQUIRY TO OPPOSE THE #OPPERGATE SCHEME IN 9ORK ARCHITECTS #HAPMAN4AYLOR 4HE ARCHITECT HAD FACED THE UNUSUALLY DEMANDING CHALLENGE OF DESIGNING A NEW RETAIL DEVELOPMENT NEXT TO ONE OF 9ORK S FINEST MEDIEVAL AND 'EORGIAN SET PIECES #LIFFORD S 4OWER AND THE %YE OF 9ORK 4HE SCHEME WAS NOT A BAD ONE BUT #!"% MAINTAINED THAT WHAT WAS NEEDED WAS ARCHITECTURE WHICH COULD BE DESCRIBED AS EXCELLENT AND THE SCHEME CLEARLY WAS NOT THAT EITHER 4HE CITY S OWN PLANNING BRIEF HAD DEMANDED @INSPIRED ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND THE @HIGHEST ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY 4HE GOVERNMENT S DECISION EXPECTED SOON WILL BE AN INTERESTING TEST OF WHETHER THE PLANNING SYSTEM IS UP TO THE JOB OF INSISTING ON THE GOOD AS OPPOSED TO REJECTING THE POOR WHEN IT REALLY MATTERS 4HE PROPOSED (ERON 4OWER IN THE #ITY OF ,ONDON ARCHITECTS +0& WAS WELCOMED BY #!"% AS A SERIOUS AND INTERESTING PIECE OF ARCHITECTURE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT ON SOME OF THE LESS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED TOWERS OF THE PREVIOUS GENERATION )T WAS CHALLENGED HOWEVER BY %NGLISH (ERITAGE BECAUSE OF ITS APPEARANCE IN SOME VIEWS OF 3T 0AUL S #ATHEDRAL !S THE BUILDING WAS NEARLY A MILE FROM THE CATHEDRAL AND OUTSIDE PROTECTED VIEWING CORRIDORS THIS ARGUMENT WAS NEVER VERY LIKELY TO WIN THE DAY AND SO IT PROVED 4HE VIEW AT #!"% WAS THAT PEOPLE ENJOY LOOKING AT OLD BUILDINGS AND AT WELL DESIGNED NEW ONES "OTH CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF THE CITY AND IT NEED NOT BE UPSETTING TO SEE BOTH AT ONCE ! LARGE EXTENSION TO THE 'RADE ) LISTED 0ALLANT (OUSE GALLERY IN #HICHESTER ARCHITECTS ,ONG AND +ENTISH WITH #OLIN 3T *OHN7ILSON PROVIDED A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF HOW MODEST AND WELL THOUGHT OUT SCHEMES CAN NEVERTHELESS PROVE HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL IN HISTORIC CONTEXTS WHICH HAVE SEEN LITTLE DEVELOPMENT FOR A CENTURY OR TWO !LTHOUGH THE PROPOSED NEW STREET FRONTAGE NEXT TO THE MAIN FA ADE OF THE EXISTING BUILDING IS ONLY ONE ASPECT OF THE ARCHITECTURE IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR AS FAR AS DISCUSSING THE MERITS OF THE PROJECT WAS CONCERNED 3HOULD IT BE @IN KEEPING WITH A STREETSCAPE WHICH FEATURES A VARIETY OF BUILDING STYLES HEIGHTS AND MATERIALS 7HICH BIT EXACTLY SHOULD IT BE @IN KEEPING WITH &OR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF "ROADCASTING (OUSE IN 7ESTMINSTER THE ""# APPOINTED AN ARCHITECT 3IR 2ICHARD-AC#ORMAC OF -AC#ORMAC *AMIESON 0RICHARD WHO CAN ALREADY BE SEEN TO BE OF GREATER IMPORTANCE TO THE HISTORY OF %NGLISH ARCHITECTURE THAN THE ARCHITECT OF THE ORIGINAL LISTED BUILDING 6AL -YERS "UT THE PLANNING SYSTEM RECOGNISES NO EQUIVALENT OF THE @ADVANCED DRIVER THE EXPERIENCED ARCHITECT MAY BE GIVEN NO CREDIT AND EXPECTED TO ARGUE HIS CASE FROM FIRST PRINCIPLES )N MY VIEW THE RESULTING SCHEME IS UNNECESSARILY COMPROMISED BUT IF IT GOES AHEAD IT WILL STILL BE ONE OF THE GREAT PROJECTS OF THE NEXT DECADE !T #LOTH (ALL 3TREET IN ,EEDS ARCHITECTS !(-- A NEW DEVELOPMENT OF FLATS OVER RETAIL UNITS WAS PROPOSED OPPOSITE "RODRICK S REMARKABLE 'RADE ) LISTED #ORN %XCHANGE 4HE ARCHITECTS RESPONDED TO ONE STRIKING BUILDING WITH CHARACTERFUL ARCHITECTURE OF THEIR OWN PICKING UP IN A LOOSE WAY ON A NUMBER OF ATTRIBUTES OF THE SURROUNDINGS TO CREATE SOMETHING WHICH MADE NO ATTEMPT AT GENUFLECTION 4HE SCHEME FOR THE NEW #ITY AND #OUNTY -USEUM IN ,INCOLN ARCHITECTS 0ANTER (UDSPITH WAS CONCEIVED IN RESPONSE TO EXPLICIT RECOGNITION BY THE LOCAL AUTHORITY #LOTH (ALL 3TREET ,EEDS A PROPOSAL BY ARCHITECTS !(-- FOR A STRIKING BUILDING OF CHARACTER OPPOSITE "RODRICK S #ORN %XCHANGE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgyMjA=