New Architects: A Guide to Britain's Best Young Architectural Practices.By The Architecture Foundation. London: Booth-Clibborn Editions. 1998. [pounds]25 This handsome illustrated directory is a full-colour celebration of the next generation of architects under the Architecture Foundation banner held proudly by Richard Rogers For the American composer, see . Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside FRIBA (born 23 July 1933) is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs. and his enthusiastic Minister for Arts, Mark Fisher This article is about the British politician. For others, see Mark Fisher (disambiguation). Mark Fisher (born October 29, 1944) is a British politician. : New Architecture for New Labour. This display of 'Cool Britannia' is the first tangible product of Fisher's campaign to lift the standard of public architecture. Each practice has a page with one large and a few small photographs, a brief statement and an assessor's comment; the favoured few have a second whole page picture opposite. In an appendix there are more details including the number of staff and computers, selected projects, awards, exhibitions and further reading. A handy gazetteer gazetteer (găz'ĭtēr`), dictionary or encyclopedia listing alphabetically the names of places, political divisions, and physical features of the earth and giving some information about each. shows how, out of 83 practices listed, 54 are in London, none in Wales Wales, Welsh Cymru, western peninsula and political division (principality) of Great Britain (1991 pop. 2,798,200), 8,016 sq mi (20,761 sq km), west of England; politically united with England since 1536. The capital is Cardiff. and an apparent black hole in central England. Architecture dazzles off each page in a fairly homogeneous, post-High-Tech and quite minimal way for, despite Rogers' claim of diversity, there is not a whiff of either the Neo-Georgian or the Ecu/Organic. This is approved good taste. Fisher's ambitions are admirable and this publication will help, but the civil servants or (even more detached from any sense of civic pride) their project managers, beset be·set tr.v. be·set, be·set·ting, be·sets 1. To attack from all sides. 2. To trouble persistently; harass. See Synonyms at attack. 3. by inadequate budgets and European rules, have no tradition of commissioning good design. I fear that, on its own, this array of talent will prove too difficult for most public servants to grasp. Sadly there is plenty of ammunition for the cynic cyn·ic n. 1. A person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness. 2. A person whose outlook is scornfully and often habitually negative. 3. such as the assessor who describes one practice as interested in 'speculative work, arts, fashion and paintings, subterfuge sub·ter·fuge n. A deceptive stratagem or device: "the paltry subterfuge of an anonymous signature" Robert Smith Surtees. and intrigue' another practice is 'not for the faint-hearted, totally pragmatic or uncommitted patron'; a third is encouraged 'should improve with experience'. The battle for good public design will continue as will the debate as to whether it is best conducted in the clients' language or the architects'. Thank you Minister for this initiative; now, can you go to work on the civil service? ROBIN NICHOLSON |
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