The Guardian: "London’s architecture lacks Berlin’s sense of culture, says Chipperfield"

"Leading British architect, who works in both cities, bemoans lack of public realm and discussion of buildings’ meaning in Britain"

Link to web site

"The leading British architect Sir David Chipperfield has said that he regards private investment’s hold over new architecture in London as an 'absolutely terrible' means of building a city.

"In Berlin, where he employs an office of 90, 'there is still an idea of the public realm. We have given that up in London. We have declared the public realm dead; the question is how to get stuff out of the private sector. We are unbelievably sophisticated at that.'

"His most celebrated work, the remaking of Berlin’s bombed-out Neues Museum, which opened in 2009 after a decade of work he called 'an unbelievably positive experience', was based on a serious debate about meaning that he finds lacking in Britain."