Category: Architecture
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Spaces — Parliamentbook
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A beautiful set of diagrams documenting the designs of parliamentary halls from across the world.
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Balwearie High School opening (BBC archive)
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This video is apparently footage from a 1964 BBC interview from the opening of my old high school, Balwearie in Kirkcaldy. It’s fascinating to see how much of it looked exactly the same when I went to school between 1998 and 2004 — and how much of it was totally different. For example, it is […]
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Pedestrian ways
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Town planners in the mid-20th century faced a big problem. The advent of the motor car brought increased congestion and safety risks. Planners wrongly thought that separating pedestrians and vehicles on different levels was the solution. If you know where to look, you can still see remnants of this thinking.
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8 classic features to help you recognise an old Woolworths store — Historic England — Heritage Calling
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Woolworths may have been closed for more than 10 years now, but it is still a great sport to try and spot former Woolies stores on the High Street. This article gives a few clues on what to look out for. I had no idea about the lion!
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The fall and rise of the Bull Ring — Brumpic
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An incredible set of photographs documenting life around Birmingham’s Bull Ring shopping centre, its decline, demolition, and rebirth.
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Thoughts on vulnerability
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Thoughts on vulnerability This is a really enlightening and enjoyable article about how vulnerability can sometimes be a strength. What I’ve realized is that sometimes being vulnerable is a really powerful feeling, like being bilingual: being present and making clear decisions in a meeting while rocking a baby, or confidently stopping someone mid-presentation to ask […]
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Woolworths ten years on
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Woolworths ten years on Diamond Geezer looks at what became of London’s Woolworths stores, ten years on from their closure, documenting their distinctive architecture in the process. I was hoping the results would be more varied… There will be more from me on Woolworths in due course…
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“Brian Eno’s ideas have resonance for architecture” says Finn Williams
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“Brian Eno’s ideas have resonance for architecture” says Finn Williams Where is here? And what is now? The answers are more complicated than you might think. Eno’s realisation that “people live in different sizes of here” led him to the idea of The Big Here and Long Now – a way of thinking that asks […]
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Visiting V&A Dundee — Dundee dares to dream
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I had read some fairly mixed reviews about V&A Dundee — both the building and the exhibitions. So I had prepared myself to keep my excitement in order. In the end, I was largely delighted by both the building and the exhibitions.
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The problem with trusting experience over expertise (a story about design thinking, astronauts, Formula 1 pundits and Brexit)
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The media — and society in general — has gradually drifted away from listening to expert figures, in favour of practitioners. But it is leaving us less enlightened.
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Dundee’s renaissance — a personal, alternative view
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Dundee’s renaissance — a personal, alternative view Brian Taylor reflects on Dundee’s resurgence. But mostly this renaissance is driven by the collective will of the people. It is marvellous to behold. Together, they have decided to stop apologising for their city. They have decided to revisit her ancient history and, hopefully, pursue her proud future. […]
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What happens when you let computers optimise floorplans
Evolving floorplans The rooms and expected flow of people are given to a genetic algorithm which attempts to optimize the layout to minimize walking time, the use of hallways, etc. The creative goal is to approach floor plan design solely from the perspective of optimization and without regard for convention, constructability, etc. I’m not sure […]
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St Peter’s Seminary rescue arts group to close
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St Peter’s Seminary rescue arts group to close This is sad news. St Peter’s Seminary is probably Scotland’s most important brutalist building. I have wanted to visit it for years, and I was gutted to miss out on the Hinterland event in 2016. I wonder what the future holds in store for St Peter’s Seminary, […]
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Will this three-storey slice of British brutalism be the hit of the Venice Biennale?
Will this three-storey slice of British brutalism be the hit of the Venice Biennale? On the V&A’s section of Robin Hood Gardens, to be exhibited at the Venice Biennale. The condition of the structure has made it even harder for the demolition team, who are used to turning up with the wrecking ball and mechanical […]
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The subtle sexism of your open plan office
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The subtle sexism of your open plan office When the architect responsible for an open plan office that made women feel watched compared it to being on a nudist beach, he undermined himself. “I think it’s like going to a nudist beach. You know, first you’re a little bit worried that everyone’s looking at you, […]
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Dundee’s new dawn: From invisible town to Scotland’s coolest city
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Dundee’s new dawn: From invisible town to Scotland’s coolest city In September, Scotland’s first dedicated design museum arrives in the shape of the V&A Dundee. For the city’s inhabitants, there’s a cautious optimism in the air. A good, balanced piece about Dundee. Cautious optimism is a great way to describe the atmosphere of Dundee. When […]
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What makes the perfect office?
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What makes the perfect office? Lessons for architects, designers and managers. What research has shown about office design and productivity. It turns out that the most productive spaces aren’t the ones that are tasteful, “look professional” or have been designed by a starchitect. They are spaces that empowered people to make the space their own. […]
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Woolworth’s British shopfronts
Woolworth’s British shopfronts A great history of the architecture of Woolworths shopfronts in the UK. It’s amazing how often you can be walking around a town and Britain and recognise a former Woolworths just from the shape of the shopfront that remains.
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We have added a bit of brutalism to our living room with these fantastic brutalist coasters made by Slope Design
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We have added a bit of brutalism to our living room with these fantastic brutalist coasters made by Slope Design. Each coaster represents one of four iconic British brutalist buildings.
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Sticks in the ground for public services
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Sticks in the ground for public services You know I love a bit of brutalism. Well here, Ben Holliday draws a comparison between civic architecture of the mid-20th century, and modern-day digital local services. Many of these buildings are now disused or in different states of disrepair. It’s an important reminder. The fact is, no […]
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These pictures capture Britain’s brutalist vision of urban utopias
These pictures capture Britain’s brutalist vision of urban utopias A selection of lecture slides from John Richings James. He was chief planner of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government during the 1960s, when many of the country’s most controversial developments were constructed. When he became a lecturer, he took with him a fascinating selection […]
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Facebook and Twitter are repeating the catastrophic mistakes of past designers
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Architects had to face up to the problems that eventually emerged with bold modernist designs. Now Facebook and Twitter need to wake up to the fact that their platforms are damaging society.
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The 1960s future town of Motopia
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The 1960s future town of Motopia – Mariabruna Fabrizi, Socks A radical idea for a new town — one where the roads are on all the rooftops.
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In Dundee this weekend, so here is the obligatory photo of the V&A
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In Dundee this weekend, so here is the obligatory photo of the V&A.
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‘I’m dumbfounded!’ … Neave Brown on bagging a Riba award for the building that killed his career
‘I’m dumbfounded!’ … Neave Brown on bagging a Riba award for the building that killed his career I stopped following architecture years ago, so I had no idea there was this renewed interest in my work until recently. I thought my buildings were a curiosity of the past that people had largely forgotten about.
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The perils of the ‘launch and leave’ approach to project management
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Our perspective on how a digital product should be managed is strongly influenced by our background and our role. That certainly helps explain some of the difficult conversations I have had over the years.
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Can web design really learn from brutalist architecture?
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As a web designer with an interest in brutalist architecture, I was fascinated to read an article about what web designers can learn from brutalism. But perhaps instead of taking inspiration, perhaps the lessons are in what web designers should avoid.
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Iceland adventures part 4: architecture
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There is some interesting architecture in Iceland. Here are some buildings that particularly caught my eye on my recent trip there.
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Derby Street demolitions – aftermath
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On Sunday, Dundee’s tallest buildings disappeared from the skyline forever. They were merely 40 years old, but were said to be too costly to maintain and too difficult to rent out. In seconds, these proud, sturdy structures collapsed into rubble — but not without a fight.
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Derby Street demolitions, Dundee
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Bucklemaker Court and Butterburn Court are currently the tallest buildings in Dundee. But in less than a month they will be gone entirely.
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