Friday, October 05, 2007

Prize Nanas

I see those Chipperfield Circus people, whose design for Margate's putative Anthea Turner Centre currently resembles Richborough Power Station, are odds-on favourites to win this year's RIBA Stirling Prize for Architecture.

Hardly surprising, as they designed two of the six buildings on the shortlist - the America's Cup Building in Valencia, and the Museum of Modern Literature in Mar, er, bach. Both look like the kind of concrete lumps that would grace any orimulsion burning facility, and not much better than something that could be whipped up by a team of blindfolded, tartrazine-fuelled five year olds with a Lego set.

Still, if you're that way inclined, the entire gruesome, arse-licking architectural experience is being served up on Channel 4 at 8pm tomorrow night. Don't forget your sick bag.

Channel 4 listing

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

As you predicted Chippers won but I thought the Concert Hall in Valencia? was the most exciting - closely followed by the garden pavilion with the saddle roof. Unfortunately now we will probably get the fact that he has won this award rammed down our throats as an excuse to expect us to put up with his design for Margate whether it is any good or not - if i wasn't boycotting the Theatre Royal on principle - I would have gone to ask him some awkward questions - did you ever actually visit Margate while your team were designing the building ? He is supposed to have amended the designs but I'll believe that when I see them

Richard Eastcliff said...

I must say the Valencia building did have a bit of a nautical swagger, let's hope he can add a touch of the briny to the Turner. But I suspect you're right. He could probably put a pile of breeze blocks there now and the Emperor's new clothes effect would mean everyone would say it was the most imaginative building ever constructed.

Interesting that the Marbach Museum, which won, only cost £8m. That's as much as was spent on Turnip Mark I, without a single brick ever being laid! Clearly the Germans are better at project management than we are.

Anonymous said...

Oh COME ON!!He deserved to win and he has taken on board some of the comments and amended the gallery for Margate and the new design is much more in keeping.Why dont we all reseve judgement until the new design is unveiled next tuesday,but that does'nt fit in with you does it ecr?

Anonymous said...

Do I detect a whiff of exasperation from the north side of the isle?