Amanda Levete New London Quarterly Summer 2018
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ISSUE THIRTY-FIVE SUMMER 2018 QUARTERLY £10 Amanda Levete Tall Buildings special MICA Architects Tibbalds Centre Point © Luke Hayes © Luke QUARTERLY New London Quarterly 26 Store Street It was instructive to note, said the project has been brought up to London WC1E 7BT NLA chairman Peter Murray in his date, with Conran and Partners and The magazine of New London Architecture – presentation to the APPG about tall MICA (profiled elsewhere this issue) Bringing people together to shape a better city www.newlondonarchitecture.org buildings, how few raised eyebrows reworking the scheme as a residential there had been among the press project, but one which sits within and public at the latest set of figures a far more permeable, attractive showing the pipeline of schemes over and accessible ground plane. In our 20 storeys. When the first NLA survey Viewpoint section we ask whether tall Editor was carried out in 2014, even Boris buildings are good for London, and David Taylor Johnson and his department had we include a special feature that brings Editor-in-chief been caught off guard at the prospect together a number of different NLA Peter Murray of more than 200 tall buildings events and studies on the subject. Group editorial director Debbie Whitfield coming to the capital. But this time? Brexit is another subject with Editorial director Over 500 barely caused a whimper. potential to have an impact on tall Catherine Staniland Are we growing accustomed to the buildings, not least in terms of the Sub editor prospect? Is London becoming a tall skills crisis. And our New Londoner Julia Dawson building city? And if so, are they in this issue – this year’s annual lecturer Editorial support the right place? Amanda Levete – talks about how Jenine Hudson; If we are to truly attend to London’s she is considering opening up in Aurelia Amanitis need for 66,000 homes per year, then Paris to help mitigate the problems of Publisher Nick McKeogh tall buildings need to be part of that the European question. Levete also Head of marketing picture, say most proponents. But talks about the work her practice has Michelle Haywood we must by the same token ensure completed at MAAT in Lisbon, and at Photography that the London we create is not one the RIBA award-winning V&A scheme Agnese Sanvito where the ground plane suffers for in London, both immediately popular the sake of height, and that heritage and critically acclaimed projects which Design and art direction buildings and wider areas are not present museums as important parts blighted. And, a year on from Grenfell, of the public realm. [email protected] the focus on safety and maintenance Elsewhere in the magazine there Enquiries in tall buildings is perhaps more acute is the usual mix of opinions, capital [email protected] than ever before. ideas, and a visit to The Ned in the This issue has a tall buildings focus, City to see how the EPR scheme has Advertising and New London Development Directory not least in the building review of a fared. Plus a look at how the recent [email protected] scheme that has for decades acted local elections are likely to impact on as a wayfinder for the eastern end of London’s regeneration, courtesy of Front cover Amanda Levete, by Agnese Sanvito Oxford Street – Centre Point. Having the New London Sounding Board. been built as an ‘island’ scheme that Enjoy the issue. © 2018. All rights reserved. bowed to the prominence of the car, David Taylor, Editor ISSUE THIRTY-FIVE 18 43 85 NLA ANNUAL 56 AWARDS LUNCH Join over 700 of the capital’s Need to know 4 Opinion 25, 41, 49, 55 Practice profile 56 leading built enviroment The quarter – our potted summary of Opinions from Ryder, Battersea Power MICA Architects talk Croydon, Centre all the key news events this term Station Development Company, Point, and context with David Taylor professionals at the NLA Annual News extra 6 Gensler, and the West London Alliance Letter from the boroughs 62 Lunch on Wednesday 4th July Robert Gordon Clark reflects on the Tall Buildings Special 28 Hackney mayor Philip Glanville impact of the London elections extols the borough’s virtues Tall storeys – our coverage of this Viewpoint 9 year’s tall building’s events Briefing notes 65 To book visit: We ask: are 500 tall buildings The low-down on all of NLA’s good for London? Update 36 recent conferences and events newlondonarchitecture.org/book Soundbites 12 Game changer – the first in a series of Coffee break 83 reports on the Elizabeth Line’s impact Who said what at the main Whitbread’s Joanne Moon NLA events this quarter From the team 39 answers the questions Learning from... 16 NLA head of events Lauren Bennett Building review 85 Peter Murray on what London on charity giving at Store Street Office to resi – letting can learn from Milan, and Centre Point live again Stefano Boeri’s Vertical Forest Top of their game 43 The directory 97 New Londoner 18 Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design on making ‘people-friendly Our guide to the companies and NLA Annual lecturer Amanda properties in London, complete with places’. By David Taylor Levete talks to David Taylor agents’ views on specific areas NLA Research 26 The user experience 50 My London 168 Sir Malcolm Grant kicks off NLA’s One year on at The Ned – architect Mount Anvil’s Lisa Ravenscroft Knowledge Capital season and client give their appraisals on Whitechapel 18 NEW LONDONER ISSUE THIRTY-FIVE SUMMER 2018 ISSUE THIRTY-FIVE SUMMER 2018 NEW LONDONER 19 Amanda Levete was all set to museums that are almost a polar London. And everyone who works enter a competition to design the opposite to the icon days: the hugely here loves London, which is why we’re new EU headquarters building in popular MAAT and its rooftop public here. But we need to be prepared Brussels, when she spotted some of space that attracted 85,000 people for Brexit if and when it happens, the small print. on its first day, and the V&A, whose and we are already feeling the effects If, it read, Brexit reached an own project has helped to lift footfall of the possibility of a hard Brexit in ‘unacceptable conclusion’, they by some 26 per cent in a year when the reduced numbers of people who reserved the right to reject a winning museum attendance nationally has are applying from the EU.’ There’s proposal from British architects. So been dropping. ‘What you could say been a drop-off in that and a couple that was it. And it made Levete realise is common to them all is that they of people returning home to Spain the enormity of the problems facing have captured, in different ways, the (the dominant nationality in the the UK and its considerable design public’s imagination’, says Levete. office, with French). OJEU is a big expertise, despite her London-based, Entering the office, visitors are source of work for the practice, as it European practice adding to the encouraged to remove their shoes. For is for others. richness of cities both here and abroad staffers, it is compulsory. The point is The EU headquarters was the kind with projects like MAAT in Lisbon that this is a great leveller, says Levete, of project it would have loved to have and the V&A on Exhibition Road. and that ‘all are in it together’ – a done, with its interesting site and I caught up with this year’s NLA phrase she repeats a fair amount and emphasis on identity. But reading annual lecturer, Jane Drew Prize- one which hints at her belief that the through the conditions alarmed winner and all-round good egg Levete ethos of the firm is firmly rooted in Levete. ‘There’s a paragraph that, in in her practice’s large office behind a collaboration, but furthermore that the event of a poorly negotiated exit trademark orange door on Brewery clients are not in for a passive ride. It’s from the EU, they reserve the right also all about leaving preconceptions – to kick off the UK practices, in the as well as worries – on the doorstep. event that they win. I’d never seen it ‘Everyone who works here loves But Brexit is a key concern that in black and white like that.’ AL_A London, which is why we’re here. has even forced Levete to investigate would have wanted to team up with a But we need to be prepared for opening an office in Paris, in part practice based in Brussels, and spoke to attend to the firm’s project to with one they have a real regard for. Brexit if and when it happens, and remodel the Galeries Lafayette. In ‘They have huge respect for what we we are already feeling the effects’ a speech to the Creative Industries do, but because we were British, they Federation in March, Levete said weren’t going to team up. So that’s that she would be derelict in her duty that. We’re not going to go for it. It’s Road, between King’s Cross, Camden, to rule out exploring the possibility. just one example, but is the beginning and the Caledonian Road. The last But fleeing is not an option. ‘We’re of something. And it really hurt.’ time we met she was with her long- not going to move wholesale, no’, As a consequence, Levete says, they time partner Jan Kaplicky, with whom she says.