Simon Allford, of the architectural practice Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, says that the new £1 billion Google building to be constructed in King’s Cross, will “articulate a conversation between the world within and the city beyond”.
Google, famous for not articulating a conversation between its accountants and the UK tax laws, is constructing the building on a long, slender site that will presumably have a piranha-filled moat around it, so that when the food runs out and we all start fighting, they can repel everyone who hates freeloaders.
The only cheering news is that I’ll be able to see the building close-up from my window, and hopefully the strategic lack of underpants in the Fowler household might throw them off their stride in early morning meetings.
You left out the worst bit of the description, I understand those in the know refer to it as “Archiwank”
“Google’s new workplace sits upon a retail plinth punctuated by three generous light filled volumes. These entrance halls serve up and into a looped three dimensional promenade that wraps its way along, around, through and up the building’s six to ten office floors, connecting cycling ramps, cores, workplaces, major shared amenities and a large roof garden in an easy and enjoyable journey that encourages encounter. Within the city the importance of this promenade is clearly expressed in the building’s volumes, articulating a conversation between the world within and the city beyond.”
I’m guessing that a retail plinth, means they are going to build it over some shops.
some architecturally good news, the ‘revamp’ of Glasgow’s historic George Square has been delayed after all 6 of the designs were rejected, all featured removal of the historic statuary (inc a rare example of an equestrian Queen Victoria) & not a single blade of grass . . .only 42 members of the public were actually consulted beforehand. . .
not sure where to put this, sorry, but thought you might enjoy these old places in London… no idea what’s still there!
http://www.vintag.es/2013/01/the-forgotten-corners-of-old-london.html
thanks for the Bryant & May books. and looking fwd to the disappearing authors book. i teach BS Johnson to my first year university students.
I like this bit, ‘This confection of enterprise tickles the urban widow with the feather of a contemporary trilobite. Gadabout, obtuse (yet challenging) the jolly knave rejuvinates the tired King’s Cross matron with ribbons and a rabbit of conceptual desire. The cake of London is made richer by a pedalo of stark light and whimsical shadows. Tiny hovercraft ramps throughout allow stainless zebras to graze upon the retail meadow of traditional London values, of bowler hats and gents riding housemaids in tea cups and furled rubber brollies. The ornamental roof molly house is a dazzle of commercial suggestion, a question whose answer is Now. The whole is presented as a basted rogue. The style is thin-penis. The inspiration a the future whose past is the present.’
Rupert – Great series of photographs! Thanks.
Alan – That is an interesting bit. Sort of an ‘Alive, the Mock Turtle, and Freud have an Absinthe Party’. Where is it from?
Ship! That should have been ‘Alice” of course – one key too far to the right. Mutters off left.
Admin and Snowy, thanks for the introduction to the world of “Archiwank”
How the bl**dy hell can a ‘promenade’ be ‘expressed’ in a ‘volume’. Not only that but the ‘promenade’ is going to be ‘three dimensional’. Carrying on with the ‘promenade’ theme, apparently that will only happen on the ‘six to ten office floors’, one assumes that from ground floor to whichever floor is below the office floor, any movement will be at a run or on one of the aforementioned cycles.
Admin – I do hope that any promenading that may be done in Fowler towers, sans underpants, will have flashing neon somewhere in the mix.
There used to be a blog about some of this stuff, it took me a while to remember where it was.
http://badbritisharchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2009/04/swallow-fields-housing-in-tipton-west.html
http://badbritisharchitecture.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/mountbatten-leisure-centre-portsmouth.html