The building that grew itself
Windsor Park's stunning new visitor centre could give royal architecture
a good name, says Steve Rose
Monday July 31, 2006
The Guardian
Royalty and architecture might have gone together like a thorough-bred
horse and a lavishly gilded carriage once upon a time, but that could
hardly be said to be the case these days. If royal architecture has been
characterised by anything in this country recently, it's been the
"people's puddle" - the problematic Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial
Fountain in Hyde Park - or Prince Charles' terminally twee model village
in Poundbury. You've got to admire our heir to the throne for at least
putting his money where his mouth is with Poundbury - assuming the money
was technically his, and the mouth wasn't technically that of his
architectural guru Leon Krier. And many would agree with at least part
of what Prince Charles and Krier have been getting at. Krier's
championing of craft-based methods and sustainable urban placemaking are
generally palatable, even if his nostalgic design approach and
insistence on cheap pastiche aren't.
....
Will the Savill Building set a precedent? The Crown Estate, to be fair,
has been proving its forward-looking credentials elsewhere. Last month
it unveiled its unstuffy new headquarters in London, with an official
opening by Prince Charles. This building presents a neo-classical facade
on to Regent Street, but it flies the flag for sustainable construction
on the inside, with solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and other
energy-efficient devices, and presents a crisp, modern elevation round
the back.
Prince Charles, meanwhile, is gearing up for another grand architectural
expedition in his Duchy of Cornwall: an extension of Newquay that has
been masterplanned by Leon Krier. It will be to the surprise of no one,
and probably the satisfaction of many, if this project results in
another Poundbury-esque embarrassment to the sensibilities of Britain's
architects. But, as the Savill Building proves, there's still the
potential for the monarchy to get behind architecture that's embraced by
the wider world - even if it isn't necessarily fit for a king.
cont'd....
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1834019,00.html