EDITORIAL
eDItorIal
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EditoR
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Clare ovenell
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aRt diRECtoR
wes mitchell
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shumi Bose
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CHiEF SUB-EditoR
Pamela Horne
So 2012 has come and gone and it’s been a year in which
London was very much in the architecture and design spotlight.
Europe’s tallest building is now in the capital in the very pointy
shape of Renzo Piano’s Shard. It seems to have been pretty
much already absorbed into the London psyche, a natural part of
the skyline. It should be even more interesting when it’s finished.
Yes, the building is up but it’s not exactly a functioning part of the
city yet. The hotel, due to open around now, is off schedule and
the first part the public will get to access looks set to be the £25a-throw viewing platform on the 68th, 69th and 72nd floors, set
to open its doors on 1 February.
For £25 though you might as well pop over the river to the
Heron Tower, near Liverpool Street, and take the highspeed lift
up to Sushisamba restaurant (above) or the Duck & Waffle (yes,
pretty naff names) where the cocktails easily match the superb
views from the 40th floor. At the ‘inside out’ bar, open until a very
serviceable 3am, there’s no ‘us and them’ counter, you get to
stand next to your cocktail shaker. So this way, for your money
you get a couple of cocktails and a view that includes The Shard
(apologies to Kohn Pedersen Fox as architect of the Heron
Tower). This is what’s known as joined-up thinking!
So The Shard was very much in the architecture spotlight, as
was much of the Olympic Park. Populous’ main stadium was
a little dull from afar, more powerful close-up and superb from
within – both in terms of the sweeping, uninterrupted views and
earsplitting, ‘crowd-sourced’ acoustics. The Hopkins-designed
Velodrome was as universally welcomed as was its nickname
the Pringle, and applauded almost as much as the Brit cyclists
who used it. This coming year should see the (water)wings
coming off Hadid’s swimming pool, bringing out the elegance of
the original design.
A good year for London in this sense, but not a great year all
round, so let’s hope 2013 improves the lot of the country as a
whole. Have a great Christmas and excellent New Year.
MUHAMMAD AZRIL : editor
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Eyre
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