Author Topic: Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?  (Read 1228 times)

  • Offline Serious

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Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
on: February 01, 2008, 01:08:00 AM
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LONDON (AFP) - Britains Prince Charles on Thursday savaged plans to erect more odd-shaped towers in London, saying they would "vandalise" the skyline and trash the citys character.

The heir to the throne, a fierce critic of post-World War II architecture, lambasted plans to site towers overshadowing historic places like the Tower of London and the City of Westminster.

After the gherkin-like 30 St Mary Axe tower was completed in 2004, an array of weird-shaped steel and glass towers are now in the pipeline, with nicknames like "Shard of Glass", "Walkie Talkie", "Helter Skelter" and "Cheesegrater".

"For some unaccountable reason we seem to be determined to vandalise these few remaining sites which retain the kind of human scale and timeless character that so attract people to them and which increase in value as time goes by," Charles told a building and planning conference at St Jamess Palace.

"Thus, in chasing the corporate tenant or the buy-to-let investor, we may not only be destroying our heritage, but killing the goose that lays the golden egg for we will destroy what makes our cities and towns so attractive to tourists in the process."

The prince, 59, said the approach of Berlin, where restrictions are imposed on the height of new buildings, "can help to achieve a far more coherent sense of harmony and civic self-confidence than the alternative free-for-all that will leave London and our other cities with a pockmarked skyline".

A rash of skyscrapers "will disfigure precious views and disinherit future generations of Londoners," he added.

Due to post-war architectural carelessness, sink estates across Britain were "unloved and relentlessly, depressingly ugly," Charles added.

As an alternative, residential buildings should consist of four- to five-storey terraces and six- to 10-storey mansion blocks.

Buildings should be built to last 100 years rather than 20, and have flexible use. The proportions, layout, material and building practices used should fit the location.

Charles has tried to put his own building ideas into practice at Poundbury in south-west England, built on land he owns and conceived by him as an inspiration to town planning and design.

He concluded by telling delegates: "For the past 60 years or so we have been conducting an experiment in social and environmental engineering that has gone disastrously wrong."


http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080131/tuk-britain-royals-architecture-a7ad41d_1.html

  • Offline bear

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Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #1 on: February 01, 2008, 07:30:55 AM
I tend to agree  a few canada one around the london eye area would destroy the picture, london eye is modern but does not destroy.

Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #2 on: February 01, 2008, 12:00:08 PM
He has an opinion on so many things that i just ignore his out dated ramblings now.

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  • Offline Clock'd 0Ne

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Re:Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #3 on: February 01, 2008, 15:18:58 PM
No one looks at Dubais developments and says oooh those buildings are too new.

  • Offline BigSoy

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Re:Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #4 on: February 01, 2008, 15:43:01 PM
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No one looks at Dubais developments and says oooh those buildings are too new.


But then not many people visit Dubai to look at the Sand :p
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  • Offline Pete

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Re:Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #5 on: February 01, 2008, 17:24:48 PM
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residential buildings should consist of four- to five-storey terraces


Affordable housing  :roll:
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  • Offline Rivkid

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Re:Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #6 on: February 02, 2008, 16:10:47 PM
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residential buildings should consist of four- to five-storey terraces


Affordable housing  :roll:


No its ok hes personally going to buy one for everyone who wants one....  :rofl:


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  • Offline Edd

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Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #7 on: February 02, 2008, 16:29:55 PM
i think charles is right to a degree. to have modern buildings built by old and famous landmarks doesnt look right
to have a "modern area" of london would be fine, but dont mix and match

  • Offline Alien8

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Re:Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #8 on: February 07, 2008, 17:13:44 PM
Im not sure about his augment about weird sky scrapers as if done right I think thay will in time add to the character of any city,but  60s and 70s concrete tower blocks are just a blight.

as for 4 to 5 story residential tenements/terraces I think is a goods idea,  again if done right give citys a majestic feel.

just looked at the website for Poundbury mentioned above it it looks great, not like the carbon copy quick built estates that are popping up all over the UK where the walls are so thin you can almost see through them.

the UK need more housing ant we dont have infinite space, building up, and building well seems to be an obvius solution, as long as they dont cram people into tenements etc like sardines and give each apartment space with light, kinda like the flats in Friends.

  • Offline Sam

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Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #9 on: February 19, 2008, 00:11:08 AM
Things like the Gherkin add to the character of London. They are interesting buildings.

Charles right to blast new skyscrapers?
Reply #10 on: February 19, 2008, 01:05:39 AM
yeah, but it would look terrible with something 3 times the hight of big ben..... standing 100 yards away from big ben... etc. etc.

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