The Role of the Estates: From Agriculture to Urbiculture

Large swathes of London's West End remain under the ownership of the Great Estates, with the Grosvenor Estate (Duke of Westminster) owning much of Mayfair and the Cadogan family (Earl of Cadogan) much of Chelsea. Terry Farrell looks at how this long-term custodianship has impacted on the development of the fabric of the city and its strong sense of place. He explains how it is a model that he has tried to draw from in his own Earl's Court masterplan. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

From the Subversive to the Serious: Temporary Urbanism as a Positive Force

Pavilions and pop-ups are most often perceived as standalone objects, but what do transient structures have to offer at the city scale? Peter Bishop , Professor of Urban Design at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), and a director at Allies and Morrison, explores what temporary urbanism can contribute to the wider metropolis. He describes how when they grow out of the best of intentions and are well executed, pavilions and pop-ups can potentially inject joy and delight, enriching an over-planned and over-regulated city.     

Some Key Figures in London's Regeneration

A number of powerful individuals have played a significant role promoting regeneration in London. Peter Murray describes some of those who make up this important network of politicians, civil servants, planners and developers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finding Time

What has our sense of the acceleration of time got to bear on our experience of cities? How might it be consciously countered by architects ‘finding time’ through ‘thoughtful design and measured observation’. ‘A self-declared ‘cultural polymath’, Tim Makower is the founder of Makower Architects. A partner at Allies and Morrison for many years, he has significant experience in leading large-scale projects, ranging from the King's Cross Masterplan in London to the Old Doha Regeneration Framework, which he draws on here and in his book Touching the City: Thoughts on Urban Scale (Wiley, 2014).     

Library of Birmingham

Howard Watson applauds Mecanoo's designs for a new library in Birmingham and the aim to bring coherence to the city centre, but questions the destruction of the nearby Central Library, an unusual Brutalist building by John Madin, which is to make way for a further retail/leisure scheme. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

发现建筑——也谈伊东丰雄建筑的地域性

本文通过对伊东丰雄(Toyo Ito)的建筑设计与环境、理念、风格等几方面的解读,提取了其中的地域性因素,并且结合实例加以分析,以引起当前我国建筑师们在建筑创作过程中更多的理性思考,发现具有中国特色的地域性建筑.