 |
| Link to web site |
" 'A remarkable opportunity,' is how architect Richard Rogers described his £725m vision to design an entirely new gateway to Cambridge. Twelve years on, the result has been called 'rubbish', 'unfit' and 'soulless' by local residents, not to mention being accused of 'designing in crime', after a rise in antisocial behaviour and a wave of 'pop-up brothels'.
"... It is hard to believe how this handsome city's flagship scheme – masterminded by one of the country's most feted architects and just a stone’s throw from the Stirling prize-winning Accordia housing development, could have gone quite so wrong. The answers can be found in its chequered history. The project began life in 2004, when local housebuilder Ashwell Property Group appointed the Richard Rogers Partnership to develop an outline plan for a new 'business and cultural centre' on a 10-hectare site around the station.
"A year later, the plans were unveiled to breathless coverage in the local paper, with a double-page spread featuring the promised bounty of a 'proper transport interchange', affordable housing, healthcare facilities and a new heritage centre, which was planned to be housed in a majestic old grain silo next to the station. 'This is just the sort of infrastructure development we need so desperately,' said its editorial. 'Having an architect of the calibre of Lord Rogers on board is a real plus'."
No comments:
Post a Comment