Satellite Boom Town

In: New statesman & society, Band 1, Heft 10, S. 38-39

Abstract

London, England, has recently experienced its largest building boom in twenty-five years. Several major redevelopments of commercial buildings & train stations are described, & shown to be related more to new advances in computer/communication technology & business speculation than to design considerations. Analysis of a recent exhibition by six of the country's younger & more talented designers & architects -- "Metropolis" -- reveals an obsession with style to the neglect of the realities of the city. It is argued that such design exhibitions are irrelevant without a consideration of the practical implications of new development, eg, the effects of increases in the size of the city's working population in terms of its commuter traffic, unique lifestyle, & economy. Comprehensive planning schemes are needed. 3 Photographs. K. Hyatt