Hasta La Ideas

News: as the UK government today unveiled its first independent architecture report, project leader Terry Farrell admitted to Dezeen that public expectations for healthcare buildings “are low” and that architects don’t have enough influence to change the status quo (+ interview).

Farrell said that the design quality of the majority of buildings in the UK needs to catch up with the “high standard” of its libraries and museums, but that expectations need to be raised to prevent “messing up our high streets and our hospitals”.

“We really tried to start more of a dialogue, a campaign for built environment and architecture, to have expectations raised so that the culture of what is around us – our streets, our houses, our buildings – is raised,” the British architect told Dezeen.

He also claimed that architects can’t do the job themselves. “Architects do quite well but they’re just a drop in the ocean. They don’t affect things very much,” he said.

Launched today, The Farrell Review makes a list of recommendations into how the quality of UK architecture can be improved. “We’re not looking at starting again, like say China is,” said Farrell. “We’re really looking at how we add to and take care of what we’ve got, because we’re messing up our high streets and our hospitals.”

Farrell’s proposals include introducing reviews to reassess existing buildings and streets, and creating “urban rooms”, where people can discuss planning proposals. The architect believes this will encourage locals to become more involved in the quality of their neighbourhoods.

“I think there’s a huge amount of interest,” he said. “I just think there are many people not literate enough to articulate their feelings on the subject and therefore they’re missed out on the debate.”

The review also recommends establishing an international architecture event in the UK to rival the Venice Biennale and the World Architecture Festival, which Farrell says would be funded by local initiatives and sponsorship.

“It’s not one of these things where the government does it for us, we have to do it for ourselves,” he said.

The Farrell Review is available for download via a dedicated website. It was conducted over a 12-month period and includes a total of 60 recommendations, compiled with help from industry figures including designer Thomas Heatherwick, author Alain de Botton and architect Alison Brooks.

Here’s a full transcript of the interview with Terry Farrell:

Amy Frearson: In response to the review coming out today, tell me what the next steps are and what you hope to achieve.

Terry Farrell: Well like all good reviews, it’s really what happens next that’s important. It’s going out in an election year, so we have deliberately aimed it broadly for independent review; that is it’s not leaning to one party or another and we have funded it ourselves to keep it independent. We really tried to start more of a dialogue, a campaign for built environment and architecture, to have expectations raised so that the culture of what is around us – our streets, our houses, our buildings – is raised.

Amy Frearson: Do you mean expectations of the general public or architects specifically?

Terry Farrell: The general public is not the right word. The informed as well as the general public, but I don’t just mean architects. Architects do quite well but they’re just a drop in the ocean. They don’t affect things very much. I think the standard of architecture has gone up and up over recent decades. Architectural education and standards of design are always going up. People expect flats to be modern and well designed but not so, say, nice housing, hospitals, many schools and certainly not high streets.

The standard has gone up because the consumer, or the general public, or whatever you like to call them, their expectations are raised and I would like to think we have started a leadership campaign for that to happen.

Amy Frearson: So at the moment expectation is much higher for some kinds of architecture than others? And expectations of healthcare buildings are currently very low?

Terry Farrell: I would say for 90 per cent that expectations are low. I think we do very good libraries, or certain public buildings like theatres and landmarks. Landmark projects we do well and certainly internationally, our firms do exceptionally well, doing grand buildings and opera houses and what have you. But I think this country is purely well built up. Eighty per cent of our buildings will still be with us, the ones that are here now, will still be with us in 2050. We’re not looking at starting again like say China is, so we’re really looking at how we add to what we’ve got and how we take care of what we’ve got and we’re messing up our high streets and our hospitals. Some of them are really quite well designed, but they’ve been added to and extended and messed about. They’re all alike here, same with mass housing estates and our high streets and so on.

Amy Frearson: Do you think the government is doing enough at the moment to raise those expectations?

Terry Farrell: I think it’s not government. I think it’s city government and towns and the expectations of planning committees. We aimed a lot of our energies at say education of children, of adults, of planning committees and the idea of urban rooms, where you can go to some place in your town or city where you can see a model of your place and you can see the changes that are opposed, but you can also see the shapes of the place as it exists and you can also see its history.

Amy Frearson: Do you think actions like the urban rooms will get people who currently don’t care about the quality of their day-to-day environment to take notice?

Terry Farrell: I think it’s about understanding what is there now, how it got there and what else is proposed. It’s not so much that there’s apathy, I think there’s a huge amount of interest. We see it time and again, that nimby-ism where planning committees debate about a new road or a new railway line. I just think there are many people not literate enough to articulate their feelings on the subject and therefore they’re missed out of the debate.

Amy Frearson: Do you think these proposals will help to counteract nimby attitudes?

Terry Farrell: Nimbyism is a natural thing. But today, flooding is making people think there ought to be a plan, the housing shortage is making people think there ought to be a plan, climate change is, and so on. So I think people have the interest but don’t quite know how to direct it.

Amy Frearson: So now that you’ve published the report, how do you think you’re going to be able to get some of these recommendations to actually happen?

Terry Farrell: There are many different recommendations because we approached it in a holistic way. We would like, for example, schools of architecture and landscape and engineering and so on to have a common foundation course. For the whole year, like you do with art school, you’re rubbing shoulders with video people and graphic designers. So that in the built environment, you have a common foundation year, because these things are interrelated.

Amy Frearson: Do you have any idea of how that will be received? Do you think that there is a desire for that to be the case?

Terry Farrell: Yes there is. I think that one of the big issues about the whole thing is articulating it and advocating it and connecting it all up and that’s what we will do. We have opened a website, we have opened our logs with so many other parties and we hope that the review is a catalyst for a lot of energy that is already there.

Amy Frearson: If you could pick any one action to come forward from the review and definitely take place, what would it be?

Terry Farrell: Well certainly urban rooms, school education and foundation year. But I also think we do a lot of very successful things in this country, particularly overseas. We are extraordinary, particularly in London, an extraordinary centre of design excellence on the bigger scale and I think there should be a London festival of all architecture to celebrate and highlight and debate the best in the world.

Amy Frearson: What sort of shape would you imagine that taking?

Terry Farrell: I think it could be a little bit of a mix of the World Festival of Architecture, with a bit of the Venice Biennale and MIPIM thrown in.

Amy Frearson: Do you have any idea of how that would be funded?

Terry Farrell: Well I believe in cities and towns themselves deciding and raising funds, but I also very strongly believe in the volunteering and sponsorship because it’s not one of these things where the government does it for us; we have to do it for ourselves.

Amy Frearson: How do you feel thinking about other big city ideas, such as Norman Foster’s proposal for a cycling highway raised above the city?

Terry Farrell: Well there are lots of ideas for cycling and we need to learn from other places. There is a real need to get a pedestrian and cycling culture much more accepted and that’s not easy because our roads are not planned for cycling. We are a very big metropolis, not a small town like Amsterdam or Copenhagen. But the culture is changing and through our political leaders like Boris Johnson and so on, we have been looking at the best of what’s on elsewhere. We can learn from that. The bike hire scheme began in Paris, Copenhagen and Amsterdam had a lot more cycling. What can we learn from these places.

The post Architects “don’t affect things very much”
says Terry Farrell appeared first on Dezeen.

News: British architect Terry Farrell’s firm is onboard to masterplan a £1 billion business hub in London’s docklands for Chinese and Asian businesses.

The Mayor of London’s office has announced its plan to transform a 14 hectare site at the Royal Albert Dock, a stretch of land near London City airport, into a gateway for Far Eastern businesses looking to establish their headquarters in Europe.

Farrells, which has offices in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai, is creating the masterplan for the £1 billion development, which will comprise around 230,000 square metres of office space as well as shops, apartments and leisure facilities.

The first phase of 55,000 square metres is due to open in 2017, subject to planning permission, with work on the site intended to be completed by 2022.

The Royal Albert Dock is one of a number of developments currently planned on the banks of the Thames, including three residential towers by Foster + Partners and plans to slot a glazed extension over the brutalist concrete architecture of the Southbank Centre – see all London architecture.

Earlier this year the firm’s head Terry Farrell was selected to lead an independent review of the UK’s architecture policy, working with an 11-strong advisory panel of architects and designers.

Other Farrells projects we’ve featured include the 442-metre Kingkey 100 skyscraper in Shenzhen and a proposal to convert London’s Battersea Power Station into a park – see all architecture by Farrells.

Here’s the press release from the Mayor of London’s office:

Mayor announces £1bn to transform Royal Albert Dock into capital’s next business district

» ABP to create state of the art business port aimed initially at Chinese and Asian business
» Estimated 20,000 jobs to be created
» Development to be worth £6bn to the UK economy when complete

The Mayor, Boris Johnson, has announced details of a £1bn deal to transform London’s historic docklands into the capital’s next business district, forging new trade links with China and other economies in the Asia-Pacific region and securing billions of pounds of inward investment in the UK economy.

Owned by the Greater London Authority and situated in the heart of Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, the 35-acre site at Royal Albert Dock is set to be transformed by ABP China (Holding), a successful commercial developer, into a gateway for Asian and Chinese business seeking to establish headquarters in Europe as well as other businesses wanting to set up in the capital.

Historically the trading heartland of the capital, the deal will re-instate the Royal Docks as a commercial and trading centre for the 21st century, delivering around 20,000 full-time jobs and boosting local employment in Newham by 30 per cent. When complete the site will become London’s third business district and, according to initial projections, be worth £6bn to the UK economy, generating £23m in business rates annually and acting as a catalyst for further development in the area.

The largest development of its kind in the UK, the state-of-the-art business district will act as a platform for financial, high-tech and knowledge driven industries looking establish and drive forward their business in UK and European markets. The deal represents one of the first direct investment by a Chinese developer in London’s property market and will eventually be home to over 3.2 million square feet of high quality work, retail and leisure space, including 2.5 million square feet of prime office space, creating a new, vibrant 24/7 district on London’s waterways.

An experienced developer in China, this is ABP’s first development project in Europe. With a track record of investing in and transforming large areas in need of regeneration, the company specialises in delivering projects of significant scale. ABP have recently completed a large development of around 15 million square feet in Beijing, while their Shenyang project in north-eastern China is even larger, with plans for 75 million square feet when complete.

Working with UK developer Stanhope and architects and masterplanners Farrells, ABP have a commitment to developing a minimum of 600,000 square feet in the first phase, with strong interest for office space already being shown by Chinese companies, including some of the country’s top banks. The first occupiers are due to move in in 2017.

The deal is a key part of the Mayor’s on-going commitment to regenerate London’s docklands, bringing jobs and homes back to the capital’s waterways and builds on the momentum of the development of the Olympic Park and Stratford City. It is the latest in a string of investments in the area including the Siemens Crystal Centre, the Emirates cable car, and new homes at Great Eastern Quay, as well as upcoming developments at Silvertown Quays and the plans to create the UK’s largest floating village at Royal Victoria Dock.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “For centuries the waterways of east London were the throbbing arteries of UK trade and commerce. This deal symbolises the revival of that great era, continuing the re-invention of this once maligned part of the capital into a 21st century centre of trade and investment. Creating a third financial district in the capital, this development will act as a beacon for eastern investors looking west, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment for the UK economy.”

Chairman of ABP, Mr Xu, said: “I am very pleased and very proud that my company ABP has reached this agreement for the Royal Albert Dock with the Greater London Authority. This project will be hugely significant for both the Chinese and UK economies. My vision is to develop a world class international business district which will initially target Asian businesses to help them secure a destination in London, which in China is seen as the gateway to both the United Kingdom and the wider European economy. Our plans aim to strengthen trade between east and west, provide new local jobs and deliver benefits for the wider London and UK economy.”

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Enterprise Zones are creating new local jobs and stimulating business ventures through significant tax incentives, simplified planning and super fast broadband that will support our economy.

“This is a significant investment deal for London and will boost employment and growth in the capital. I am delighted that the benefits of Enterprise Zone status are attracting foreign investment to the country and strengthening our trade relations with major international players like China.”

Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham said: “The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone offers an unrivalled investment opportunity and this deal further strengthens Newham’s growing reputation as an ideal destination for international business.

“We welcome ABP’s ambitious vision for the Docks which are already home to London City Airport, the University of East London, the Siemens Crystal and the Excel. ABP’s proposals will bring further investment from abroad and unlock future development. It will also create benefits for local people by providing thousands of new jobs and further enhancing the waterfront for people to enjoy.

“Newham will work closely with ABP and their UK development partner, Stanhope, to ensure that as many of these jobs as possible are accessible to local residents. Our successful Workplace jobs brokerage scheme is ideally placed to ensure this happens.”

Situated in the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, the Albert Dock site, when complete, will have some of the best transport links in the capital, with direct access to central and western London via the new Crossrail station coming in 2018. It also benefits from close proximity to the University of East London and City Airport, providing direct links to Europe’s key business destinations.

The post Farrells develops £1 billion Chinese
business hub in London docklands appeared first on Dezeen.

Dezeen Wire: British architect Terry Farrell has unveiled conceptual proposals to convert London’s Battersea Power Station into a park, which oppose existing plans for a mixed-used development by New York architect Rafael Viñoly.

Unlike Viñoly, whose stalled proposals to develop the Grade II listed former power station require a significant investment, Farrell intends simply to replace the sides of the building with an open colonnade and create a public park inside.

The architect hopes that these alternative plans will enable the construction of a new underground station for a fraction of the cost projected for it in Viñoly’s scheme.

We published some of Viñoly’s originals plans for the site back in 2008 – see our earlier story here.

Here’s some more text from Farrells:

Farrells release radical proposals for Battersea Power Station

Terry Farrell & Partners have released proposals for Battersea Power Station which offer a radical rethink involving an incremental two step strategy for its future.

This fresh approach aims to combat the “bigness” that is blocking the project with a plan that doesn’t rely on starting with a £1.5 billion new tube station or the refurbishment of an enormous and deteriorating ex industrial building.

Sir Terry said; “We have to learn lessons from the problems that have thwarted previous attempts to redevelop this much loved landmark.”

The first lesson that informs Farrell’s proposal is that little will happen whilst there is still a gigantic ruin in the middle of the site. Flat sales, particularly on the riverfront, will not achieve full value if the power station is not dealt with first.

Farrell’s proposal is to create a simple and beautiful finished monument at a very early stage by retaining the front and back elements and their chimneys. From most river views this would retain the full convincing form of the building by constructing a grand muscular monument with an open colonnade screen along the two flank walls.

From the river, this will appear solid and retain the full grandeur of the buildings form. From the sides, however, it will be open so that within the site and from the surrounding flats there will be views through the colonnade into a large generous parkland for people to enjoy. Such a unique and stunning park could be used for leisure and occasional events as have already taken place here over the years.

As for the transport connections, for now we could spend a fraction of the amount it would cost for a new tube station on a surface tram link or a shuttle bus service to Vauxhall station. When the tube line is up and running, which could take many years, it can service the increased people traffic there. A second phase could then involve the reconstruction of the walls and the roof to contain what is considered to be viable and appropriate at that point in time.

Sir Terry, who is an Ex-Commissioner of English Heritage and Ex-Chair of their London Advisory Committee, said;

“This is a pragmatic and incremental approach to enable the redevelopment of this famous landmark sitting in one of the largest and most valuable regeneration sites in Central London. In many ways, this strategy is already on its way to being realised as there is one long flank wall missing as well as the roof itself.

It is not the first time the power station would have been taken down and put back together again. Not many people know that the chimneys were removed during the Second World War to prevent them being targets for German bombers before being replaced.

The key to this strategy is that it will be, and will be seen to be, complete at each stage so that the redevelopment project can get started and make positive and rapid progress.”