By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 1 Views
Architecture of course produces its own stardust, with such luminaries as Zaha and, of course, winner Richard Rogers at the Stirling dinner. But stars from beyond these horizons were in shorter supply. Those present included designer and former Stirling presenter Wayne Hemingway and Ekow Eshun, director of the ICA, who…
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 2 Views
John McAslan’s refurbishment of the Roundhouse won unlimited praise from the audience at the Stirling Prize on Saturday night, with older members of the audience growing misty eyed about their misspent youth in a venue which apparently, for instance, saw the only UK appearance by The Doors. Mariella Frostrup, who…
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 1 Views
Readers will know how much Astragal enjoys national stereotypes. And no nation tickles his fancy more than the ‘craazy’ Dutch. When not sticking their fingers in dykes, Astragal believes, the average Hollander can be found cycling through the red-light district puffing on a hefty jazz fag. And this belief has…
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 0 Views
So the Olympic Delivery Authority is promising that the London 2012 Olympics will not go the way of the Wembley fiasco, is it? Well well well… what a pledge. What is true is that there is no way its going to be late. It’s amazing how the promise of global…
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 0 Views
Astragal has today headed off to Venice for the second time in just over a month, this time not for the Biennale but for the RIBA annual conference. Oh what a different experience this promises to be. Whereas five weeks ago one might have found a trendy Irish architecture ligger…
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 0 Views
Pringle was surprisingly chipper since, by his own admission, he should be near suicidal. Researcher Ben Page of Ipsos Mori had outlined the conditions for happiness which included being married, having a religion, being richer than your friends, and having plenty of leisure. Pringle described himself as an unmarried atheist…
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 2 Views
Could the RIBA soon have its first woman president? It will if Jack Pringle has anything to do with it. Introducing a session in which his successor Sunand Prasad was speaking, Pringle referred to session chair Claire Wright, of Wright and Wright, as ‘hotly picked as a future president of…
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 0 Views
What is a conference without its superstars? Delegates at the RIBA Conference will have to manage without Zaha Hadid, who cancelled at the last moment, sending a colleague instead. But at least Norman Foster was there, carrying an intriguing gift-wrapped silver parcel which toned with his pale grey suit.
By AJ Contributor 3 October 2007 1 Views
As the RIBA Conference in Venice opened with a reception at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum on an exceptionally balmy evening, one delegate questioned whether this was an unacceptably luxurious venue. More than 200 delegates evidently disagreed, having come from such places as Fiji. And Astragal was on their side, sipping…
By AJ Contributor 2 October 2007 0 Views
Somebody, presumably with an enormous stash of helium, must love Rem Koolhaas’ Serpentine Pavilion. Astragal has discovered that a mysterious UK-based buyer has snapped up the over-rated inflatable gallery building and is taking it home. After a summer billowing away in Kensington Gardens, the translucent, polycarbonate oddity is being dismantled,…
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