November 2011 – Walking City ~ Paul Lincoln

Barbican attempts to add green to grey

Tatlin Tower comes to the Royal Academy

As part of Building the Revolution at the Royal Academy, a scale model of the Tatlin Tower has been recreated.

Albert Bridge to re-open

The Albert Bridge will re-open next week after two years of repairs.

Rothschild HQ opens as St Paul’s becomes open-air debating chamber

The contrasting life of the City of London illustrated by the recent opening of Rem Koolhas’ headquarters for the Rothschild Bank and the open-air seminar taking place today on the steps of St Paul’s. Interesting to see how empty some public spaces have become. The centre of the City of London used to be theContinue reading “Rothschild HQ opens as St Paul’s becomes open-air debating chamber”

Why do City of London residents have only 20% of the vote?

A graphic illustration of the way in which the business vote disenfranchises City of London residents seen outside St Paul’s Cathedral.

Golden Lane Leisure Centre wraps come off a week before new book published on its architects

Just a week before English Heritage, RIBA and the Twentieth Century Society publish a new book by Elain Harwood on the architects of Golden Lane Estate, the scaffolding has been removed from the leisure centre at the heart of the estate. With another three months to go before the restoration is complete, the work toContinue reading “Golden Lane Leisure Centre wraps come off a week before new book published on its architects”

Swimming in the newly-restored Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace Sports Centre has had a modest restoration. A strange building, the wet and dry sections meet in the entrance hall which makes the whole place feel a bit damp. And despite being cathedral-like in its scale, swimming in the fifty-metre lane is very claustrophobic. The best part is the way that the lightsContinue reading “Swimming in the newly-restored Crystal Palace”

Ken Worpole in praise of real public space

At a lecture given at the Garden Museum, writer, academic and chair of Clissold Park Users Group Ken Worpole highlighted the benefits of open space, available to all. He referenced his superb book on public space, democracy and architecture Hear Comes the Sun. I found myself in Clissold Park the next day. For me itContinue reading “Ken Worpole in praise of real public space”

Why the wine bars of Paternoster Square are running out of customers

Paternoster Square has the appearance of a ghost town. The apparently public square with its monument to the booksellers whose shops perished in the Fire of London, revealed its true colours when it served injunctions on Occupy London. The protesters moved next door to the precincts of St Paul’s and we now see what aContinue reading “Why the wine bars of Paternoster Square are running out of customers”