The pace of change

During my journalistic career at the BBC, I was also associated with a range of failed building projects. A Norman Foster scheme for a radio centre on the site of the Langham Hotel, and an RHWL scheme, in two phases, for a news centre and radio centre at White City were the "highlights". The most recent and probably the most unlikely has succeeded; the completed redevelopment of Broadcasting House will be handed over to the BBC soon.

During the design work on these schemes, I tried to educate myself about the best of the British architecture and construction. The most influential buildings at the time of the first White City development (in the late 80s) were Arup's initial contributions to the Broadgate scheme. We tried not to be influenced by the later SOM blocks, but were fascinated by their construction techniques.

Now the talk is of demolition of part of Broadgate, for a new scheme by Make for UBS. I commend Amanda Baillieu's thoughts on the issue, which also take a swipe at Wirral Waters.