Tag Archives: London

Before the London fire, 1666

Posted on October 1, 2020 by

An engraver by trade, John Thomas Smith trod this earth two centuries ago (1766-1833), and was also known as “Antiquity Smith.” He etched buildings in London that had survived the Great Fire of 1666, many of which were being demolished … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture History, Art and design, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Sports ban play-by-play

Posted on March 30, 2020 by

Survive the shutdown of life, including the sportin’ life, amid the coronavirus pandemic by watching out-of-work British rugby broadcaster Nick Heath’s hilarious play-by-play for a string of everyday events in London. From the market-bargaining regional qualifier (top photo) to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Video | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Sir Roger Scruton, RIP

Posted on January 12, 2020 by

Death took Roger Scruton today. He was the world’s deepest thinker on architecture and aesthetics, which were embedded in the conservatism of his broader philosophy. Scruton embraced tradition, holding that “the tried and true” are a stronger foundation than novelty … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books and Culture | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Modern architecture as spin

Posted on December 4, 2019 by

An article in the Guardian on the rise and fall of London’s Millennium Dome sums up much of what ails modern architecture. “20 years on, revisiting a very British fiasco,” by Rowan Moore, describes the pitfalls of treating architecture not … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

They fought to save London

Posted on October 23, 2019 by

I wonder what inspired Simon Jenkins, one of the few sensible architecture critics in Britain, to pen his recent lengthy essay in The Guardian, “Concrete Bungle,” subtitled “How public fury stopped the 1970s plan to turn London into a motorway.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mayor nips Foster’s Tulip

Posted on July 17, 2019 by

On July 15, London Mayor Sadiq Khan nipped Lord Foster’s proposed Tulip in the bud. Fine. But why? It does not “represent world-class architecture,” quoth the mayor. “Mayor rejects ‘unwelcoming, poorly designed’ Tulip,” stated Architects’ Journal. One study declared it … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Development | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Assassin’s Creed does Athens

Posted on March 21, 2019 by

Here is an eight-minute video on the reconstruction of ancient Athens by game-maker Ubisoft for the latest episode (if that’s what it’s called) of Assassin’s Creed. Previous episodes have invited us into highly realistic reconstructions of Renaissance Venice and Florence … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Moore’s attack on Scruton

Posted on November 28, 2018 by

One of the Scepter’d Isle’s leading architecture critics, Rowan Moore of the Observer, has crafted an utterly despicable if entirely predictable attack on Sir Roger Scruton. Sir Roger is the British government’s choice to head a panel to bring beauty … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Scruton’s first beauty volley

Posted on November 23, 2018 by

As I mentioned in “Sir Roger’s hunt for beauty,” Roger Scruton has been appointed chairman of a commission to promote beauty in British housing policy. Naturally, all those who are opposed to beauty in architecture are on the warpath against … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Wee wow for Bauwauhauses

Posted on April 27, 2018 by

“Mutts-have: Architects create luxury kennels for charity auction” is the headline of this story by Guardian critic Oliver Wainwright. “Mutts-have”? … I’m sorry, that really does not cut the mustard. Mutts-have ≠ must-have. And if you glide down the complement of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment