Debt-loaded housing developer Crest Nicholson is not known for its patronage of great contemporary architecture. This is well documented online. But this brute is as bad as it gets. The architect, Assael, is frequently included in the Sunday Times' list of best employers in the country, but I'd need more than a softball team and a decent pension to tolerate working on a project like this. Maybe they give out free crack to their employees at lunchtime. The project is a conversion of an office building formerly occupied by MI6. So far, so sustainable. But what Assael was thinking when it dressed it up for the 21st century, god only knows. Firstly, they created a ham-fistedly 'iconic' entrance, presumably to give the modernist building some presence on the street. The white-painted tree-like columns are horribly twiggy and supports a roof (presumably modelled on the Nike tick) that is horribly, clunkily thick.
But it's the tower that's really bad. You can see what they were thinking. Clad the bottom five storeys in terracotta so it 'relates to the cityscape', and then do whatever the fuck you like above that. The top of the tower is just hilarious. It reminds me of Taipei 101, but without the elegance.
This conversion is award winning, believe it or not. It is a truism that if you can be arsed to enter, you can win an award for anything in this self-congratulatory architectural culture.
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I had been hoping this one would be featured...
ReplyDeletetaipei 101 isn't really what you'd call elegant, though, is it?
ReplyDeleteMy attempt to be sarcastic...
ReplyDeleteWow, they went for ugly and really hit it out of the park
ReplyDeleteurgh, sorry; I can be more than a little credulous sometimes...
ReplyDeleteWell I just got an email offering me every flat on the 8th floor at a 30% discount, I was interested until I saw what the place looked like - you should see the finish on the inside - yellow and orange vinyl flooring in the kitchen/living area... it's an abomination. Some 'hot-shot' property investor obviously thought it was a good investment until they couldn't keep up the repayments on their overpriced, cheaply finished 'luxury' apartments...
ReplyDeletebring back the IRA.
ReplyDeleteone last job.
Commenting simply as a passer by, I personally admire the finish of the building, it really lifts the area around it which you have to admit is pretty crummy. Let's hope the regeneration continues in earnest. I always admire the building when I drive past and wish I could afford to live there myself. I wonder how many of those people who have commented negatively on the building live in the shadow of this magnificant iconic beauty. I do however think the colour green would have been more suitable than orange for the lower portion. I just looked at prices online in the building and for those who can afford it there could not be a better time to buy one of these gems. What a bargain for good sized apartments with secure parking and so close to central London and Lambeth North station practically on the doorstep not forgetting Waterloo Station 5 mins walk. You'd be hard pushed to purchase generous square footage like that around central London at thoses prices, usully a pokey little flat with no view more likely. The views must be breathtaking especially the higher up you go as there are few other tall buildings blocking the way. As for the original basic interiors, what a luxury for someone to go in now and rip everything out and have a blank canvas to put something remarkable in. I applaud the designers and everyone involved in the revamp, you deserve to win more awards and have great successes in other projects.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you either work for the developer or the architects?
ReplyDeletei think it is a great building,i have seen a flat over looking to the london eye on the 5th floor, g r e a t !
ReplyDeletewell done !
it is easy to nock anything
it is hard to create
Another vote for the building. I'd grab a unit if I had the necessary. Good location and beats living in the suburbs. At altitude would be nice so I could check out the competition.
ReplyDeleteLooks like someone tried to draw a pagoda a few times and chose the best attempt.
ReplyDelete