[Mark Pearce]

The Sage, Gateshead

[Sven Nilsen]

Ben:

It is always enlightening when someone with actual knowledge chimes in on threads like this.  Thanks for taking the time to add your thoughts.

In The Spirit of St. Andrew's, MacKenzie quotes an old Persian saying in a discussion about those who think they are qualified to suggest changes to existing golf courses.  This is as good a place as any to reiterate his message:

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool.
Avoid him.
He who knows not and knows that he knows not will learn.
Teach him.

He who knows and knows not that he knows will fail.
Pity him.
He who knows and knows that he knows is a wise man.
Follow him.

[John Kavanaugh]

What surprised me most about the London Aquatic Center was that it was replacing the beautiful in name Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.  Wow, is that an ugly duck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Palace_National_Sports_Centre

Could someone, anyone please post a pic of a decent building built in the UK in the last 50 years.

The UK has more decent buildings than you can think of! The quality of the build is better than buildings I have seen in the US.

The National Theatre is a fantastic piece of concrete architecture built in the 70's

We have the Gherkin the Cigar shaped tower

The Shard recently opened it looks amazing!

The Millenium Bridge

Tate Modern

The new cathedral like underground stations of the Jubilee line

Canary Wharf

The Dome is a great piece of technical and high tech architecture

Sports wise - Mound Stand and Grandstand at Lord Cricket Ground. The new stand at the Oval Cricket Ground

Emirates and Wembley Stadiums

I could go on and on ...........

Mr Pringles dome aka the Velodrome is a thing of beauty!

Ben, I have googled your choices and am lost for words.  I think you guys are trying too hard.  Could you please take a second and explain the thoughts behind the design of Tate Modern?  It looks like a place to burn art instead of celebrate it.

[John Kavanaugh]

I'm loving the backdrop used to feed the reports from London.  It looks like they are covering a craft fair at Six Flags over Georgia.

[Sven Nilsen]

Anyone else see the irony in a man who makes his living by covering up roads in disrepair not being able to understand the concept of "reuse."

[John Kavanaugh]

Here is the real reason Aquatic Center was built.  Nothing to do about re-use, its all about the records.  This reminds me all that is wrong in modern golf:

http://video.mit.edu/watch/science-of-the-summer-olympics-designing-a-fast-pool-11978/

btw: The building better perform.

[Sven Nilsen]

I was talking about the Tate Modern.

[John Kavanaugh]

I was talking about the Tate Modern.

Interesting.  I asked for buildings built in the last 50 years.  He got me on that one.

[Ben Stephens]

What surprised me most about the London Aquatic Center was that it was replacing the beautiful in name Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.  Wow, is that an ugly duck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Palace_National_Sports_Centre

Could someone, anyone please post a pic of a decent building built in the UK in the last 50 years.

The UK has more decent buildings than you can think of! The quality of the build is better than buildings I have seen in the US.

The National Theatre is a fantastic piece of concrete architecture built in the 70's

We have the Gherkin the Cigar shaped tower

The Shard recently opened it looks amazing!

The Millenium Bridge

Tate Modern

The new cathedral like underground stations of the Jubilee line

Canary Wharf

The Dome is a great piece of technical and high tech architecture

Sports wise - Mound Stand and Grandstand at Lord Cricket Ground. The new stand at the Oval Cricket Ground

Emirates and Wembley Stadiums

I could go on and on ...........

Mr Pringles dome aka the Velodrome is a thing of beauty!

Ben, I have googled your choices and am lost for words.  I think you guys are trying too hard.  Could you please take a second and explain the thoughts behind the design of Tate Modern?  It looks like a place to burn art instead of celebrate it.

Tate Modern is a perfect modern art building designed by Swiss architects Herzog + Du Meuron- re-using the dilapilated Bankside Power Station originally designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott (also responsible for the Midland Grand Hotel in front of St Pancras Rail Station). The building is directly across the river from St Pauls Cathedral its an amazing view from the top floor restaurant!

Their winning design beating a awesome shortlist which included short listed architects - Tadao Ando, David Chipperfield, Renzo Piano, Rafael Moneo and OMA (with American Richard Gluckman) who all had different ideas it was H deM that came up conserving most of the external fabric of the old power station and has created London's biggest Room in within a building. It is one of the most visited visitor/tourist attractions in London and its free apart from certain exhibitions.

Herzog + De Meuron are back again creating an extension to the Tate Modern aptly named Tate Modern 2.



London has fantastic ecletic mix of buildings old and new!!

[Ben Stephens]

I was talking about the Tate Modern.

Interesting.  I asked for buildings built in the last 50 years.  He got me on that one.

Wait until my partner in crime chips in! 

[Mark Woodger]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-18780003 - i saw this recently. A shame that some of these facilites are no longer being used.

Its funny how the millenium dome (o2 arena) is now such a sucess. at the time it was an unmitigated disaster when compared to the projections of attendance at the start of the project. I am pleased to see it finally work out.

[Rich Goodale]

John

The Brits think they wrote the book(s) on art and architecture, but they do not have a clue....

Pajo

Rich
I typed out a long response mentioning amongst many other things Ruskin, Clarke, Pevsner, Stonehenge and the Serpentine Pavilion. I then recalled that the best writing should be strongly edited.  Thus my considered reply is

"What utter bollocks!"

Your affectionate friend

Tony.

Sorry for agitating you, Tony--I sometimes do use hyperbole to make a point.....  I think John is doing quite well on his own, so I'll not try to pile on (for example by mentioning today's fact that the diving complex has sold tickets for 5,000 seats which have no view of the Tom Daley 10 meter platform, forcing a £200,000 refund offer by LOCOG).  I do hope that the architecture will look better and function better than what we have seen and heard of so far and that the games are a great success.  Even if they are 1/2 as good as Beijing, I think you should call it a victory and celebrate.  As John has said, China set the bar extremely high and if you don't clear it, don't mope.

Cheers

Rich

[Charlie_Bell]

Just offering a second opinion to Matthew Hunt regarding the Beijing Aquatics cube.  It's all a matter of taste, of course, and I don't know if you've seen it in person.  I was there in March of 2008, and I liked the Cube much more than the Bird's Nest, though I never ventured inside either one.

The Cube was spectacular at night, really, one of the most playful and inspired buildings I've ever seen.

[Tony_Muldoon]

The ‘Sculpture’ is an all galaxy abomination and hopefully its destruction can one day be witnessed from space.

The Orbit sculpture is visualised by Anish Kapoor and made feasible by Cecil Balmond who is an incredible structural engineer! I like it as it is different its like Marmite you either love it or hate it!

Ben if I forget and look left as I leave the house I get a daily veiw of this.  I am liking it less and less.  Can you confirm the story I've heard that the viewing platform was an afterthouhht?


Zelda, must have still been thinking about the thread on The Cussed Fitzgerald's.

[Ben Stephens]

The ‘Sculpture’ is an all galaxy abomination and hopefully its destruction can one day be witnessed from space.

The Orbit sculpture is visualised by Anish Kapoor and made feasible by Cecil Balmond who is an incredible structural engineer! I like it as it is different its like Marmite you either love it or hate it!

Ben if I forget and look left as I leave the house I get a daily veiw of this.  I am liking it less and less.  Can you confirm the story I've heard that the viewing platform was an afterthouht?


Zelda, must have still been thinking about the thread on The Fitzgerald's.

As an architect and designer you always go through a series of different designs and options - I doubt it was an afterthought in this version. It is easy to draw an idea the difficult thing is to interpret it or turn it into reality. The Orbit it is very Anish Kapoor style whether you like it or not - Kapoor had a massive sculpture in the Tate Modern -

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/unilever-series-anish-kapoor

The steel is made out of recycled parts (washing machines etc) which makes it an recycled sculpture. The stair and Platform was designed by Kathyrn Findlay it is interesting as to me it looks like a part of the throat This is a one off and cant be found elsewhere and was funded by Arcelor Mittal.

London have tried to put forward a different and a more realistic Olympics and will set the standard for any future Olympics (Beijing is a one off and off the scale look what has happened to the venues there now most of them are run down etc) the venues in London will still be used after ie Excel, O2 Dome, Aquatics centre, Velodrome, Wembley, Lords etc. All the others are temporary and in fantastic setting. The biggest thing is a new town is created which is needed to cater for the housing shortfall and a fantastic public park - Olympic Park will be improved after the Olympics in the areas between the Stadium and Aquatics centre in the area where it will cater for thousands during the Games -

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/erects-north-olympic-park-hub-wins-planning/5040294.article


The one I am really looking forward to is the triathlon in Hyde Park - with the Brownlee boys - at the moment it is a 1-2 for GB and which brother will win??

[Matthew Hunt]

Staying away from actual politics : As regards to Romney's Olympic trip, it really interests me that out of 315,000,000 Americans, the GOP picked someone who is so inarticulate, boring and so hard to identify with. Apologies in advance for anyone I offended!

[Mark Pearce]

Staying away from actual politics : As regards to Romney's Olympic trip, it really interests me that out of 315,000,000 Americans, the GOP picked someone who is so inarticulate, boring and so hard to identify with. Apologies in advance for anyone I offended!

+1

[Tony_Muldoon]

 John if you really are serious about your questions.

First the inspiration for the roof of the Swimming Centre was a Manta Ray.

Truly great Building? When time allows I might explain why



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd's_building

[Kevin Jackson]

Has everyone forgotten that labor for Beijing was much easier to find and cheaper than London.

[Mark Pearce]

Has everyone forgotten that labor for Beijing was much easier to find and cheaper than London.

Was iI really so inept at making just that point?

[David Kelly]

Coincidently I just read a very good, although disheartening, book on British architecture.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Victorian-Britain-Architectural-Masterpieces/dp/1845135326

[Matthew Hunt]

Come on people, there is bound to be a load of irony in a bunch of Americans criticizing British architecture. That privilege should be reserved for people from Italy, France or even Czech Republic who have had a couple glasses of wine.    

[James Boon]

Ben, thanks for your thorough responses. Saved me a lot of time as I'd have posted something similar though not all my preferences on the architecture front are the same as yours. I love Kapoors work, and though I've not yet seen it in the flesh, that viewing platform had to be an afterthought!

Tony, did I read you wrong or are you not a fan of Hopkins? Just curious?

John, the wonder of architecture, buildings or courses, is that though there are key elements that can make good or bad design, the art form is always subjective. I could post plenty of pictures of buildings most wouldn't have heard of, from the last 50 years, that for me are all wonderful! Perhaps when I have the time I will but then I've still not got round to posting my photo thread of Turnberry so don't expect it any time soon?

Cheers,

James

[James Boon]

Rich,

Having spent the early part of my life in England, I must say that I agree with you and Charles, the Prince of Wales, that English architecture post WW11 is an abomination.

Bob

Bob,

The starting point for Prince Charles idea of architecture is very good and not far from my own: sustainability and context are critical. However he insists on cloaking it in a pastiche of the past or worse yet post modern styling, I'd prefer it to say something of the time it is built in.

The days of humble offices, factories or housing being built with style and pride, as the Victorians often did, have quite often been replaced with the desire to build cheap and quick. But please don't mistake this for thinking all post WWII architecture in this country is an abomination.

Cheers,

James

[John Kavanaugh]

I have enjoyed all the Londoners chiming in, even those not old enough to vote, and am quite jealous if you get to attend the games.  I was on my way to Atlanta when the unfortunate bombing occurred and had to turn back home.  Hope you guys have better luck.

A vital key to the architecture of the Aquatic Center will be how it performs.  Of course I started this thread not knowing of the ticket refunds due to sight restrictions.  Your architect is in denial as indicated here: http://tinyurl.com/ctvob24 Shame on her.

I will go so far to say that I don't think this is the end of the problems facing this building.  Any of you who have been to a swim meet may know that it is the smelliest of all athletic competitions.  The chlorine is nauseating.  Please notice the claustrophobic nature of the temporary seats highest on the wings.  I seriously doubt that proper ventilation has been provided where these gases will gather.  Look for reports of sickness.

The other problem I see is from a competitors standpoint given the curved roof.  There are many dives where focal points are required to find the water.  Listen for complaints from the competitors.  Most likely the British darling Tom Daley will find his medal chances washed away like so many views of his most fervent fans.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()