Latest news with #DavidChipperfield
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Why are proposals for China's super-embassy in London so contentious?
Ministers have asked China to explain redacted designs for a 'super-embassy' in London as they prepare for a final decision on the controversial building. What's at stake and why are the proposals so contentious? If the building goes ahead it would be the biggest embassy in Europe, in the heart of the city and near the Tower of London. The 20,000 sq metre (5 acre) site, which was once home to the Royal Mint, was bought by China for £225m in 2018. Beijing commissioned David Chipperfield, one of Britain's most respected architects, to design the new embassy and cultural centre for the site. Dissidents fear it will be used as a centre to spy on, harass and possibly detain opponents of the Chinese government. They point to how in 2022, a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was dragged into the grounds of the Chinese consulate and then beaten. Local residents are concerned the new embassy will be a magnet for protests and a potential security risk. China hawks and some of Britain's allies, notably the US, warn that it also poses an espionage risk because of its close proximity to London's financial district. In June the White House voiced 'deep concern' about the new embassy and noted its closeness to the London office of several US banks. The Home Office and Foreign Office have asked for the construction of a 'hard perimeter' around the site to address public and safety concerns. The site used to house trading floors that were wired up to other financial institutions. It is also close to the City's telephone exchange. Allowing China to build on the site would be an invitation to espionage, according to the Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith. The Metropolitan police have warned the building would attract protests that would impede traffic and require extra policing. China's initial planning application was rejected by the local Tower Hamlets council in 2022 over safety and security concerns and fears about the impact on tourism. In August 2024, just after Labour came to power, China resubmitted the same application. The application came up in Keir Starmer's first phone call with China's president, Xi Jinping, that same month. In October the housing secretary, Angela Rayner, who has responsibility for planning matters, 'called in' the application, moving it from local to central government to decide on its merits. A decision on the application is due by 9 September. As part of the process Rayner has asked China to un-redact parts of the plans that had been 'greyed out' in the application. The redacted plans submitted include a basement area with rooms of no identifiable use. In a letter to the Chinese embassy, Rayner pointed to the principle that the public should know what is being proposed before planning permission is granted. She also asked for more details on how the embassy planned to address safety concerns. This would require a further consultation, which could delay the final decision. Legally, only planning considerations should influence Rayner's decision. In reality, she has a difficult political and diplomatic balancing act to perform. On one hand, there are concerns about China's record on human rights and its potential threat to national and financial security. On the other, the UK is keen to pursue closer ties with China – not least to encourage Chinese investment in the UK's faltering economy. So far, the Chinese embassy, currently based in London's Portland Place where it has been since the 1870s, has said it has no plans to alter the designs for its new HQ. In a statement to the BBC, it said it was 'committed to promoting understanding and the friendship between the Chinese and British peoples and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Building the new embassy would help us better perform such responsibilities'. On objections to the plans it said: 'Anti-China forces are using security risks as an excuse to interfere with the British government's consideration over this planning application. This is a despicable move that is unpopular and will not succeed.' While the fate of China's London embassy is being decided, China has blocked a UK request to rebuild its embassy in Beijing.
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
As American Architects Gather in Boston, Retrofits Are All the Rage
At the American Institute of Architects conference last week in Boston, those dressed in black — unofficial uniform of uber-creative design professionals — seemed to be outnumbered. The architects prowling the convention center were more likely to be sporting button-down Oxfords or Patagonia, on their way to such sessions as 'Next-Level Roofs: Energy Efficiency, Embodied Carbon, and Code Compliance.' An architectural trend can't be based on a wardrobe census, of course, but a shift toward more practical, sustainability-oriented work was palpable. And increasingly, that means working on retrofits, rather than creating snazzy new structures. AIA billings survey data in 2022 revealed that architects for the first time were earning more revenue for commissions on existing buildings than new construction. Recent Pritzker Prize wins by Lacaton & Vassal and David Chipperfield represent high-profile recognition of advances in restoration and renovation. Rules are being put in place to encourage adaptive reuse, as in Los Angeles, or to promote a circular economy and limit demolition, as in San Antonio. Those ordinances are alongside financial incentives offered by several local governments for converting office buildings to residential use.
Bloomberg
21-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
As Rolex Shrinks Retail Near New NYC Flagship, Patek Philippe Expands
After 45 years, Rolexes will no longer be sold at Wempe, the tony watch and jewelry dealer at 700 Fifth Ave., one of retail's most prestigious addresses. The watches aren't going far, though. Rolex SA is finishing construction on a new, 199,000-square-foot New York headquarters designed by David Chipperfield Architects two blocks away at 665 Fifth Ave. Once it's complete, which the company has said should happen by the end of 2026, the space will host a multi-floor flagship that the company hopes will become a magnet for shoppers and curious tourists. As a result, the Swiss luxury timepiece behemoth is shrinking its retail network in that part of Manhattan to just the flagship plus emporiums owned by Bucherer AG, a previously independent retailer Rolex bought in 2023.
Time Out
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Venice is getting two brand-new art centres in May – here's where to find them
Milan's Brera Modern finally opened its doors at the end of 2024 (after over 50 years in the making), but it's far from the only Italian city to be graced with a stunning new arts space. In fact, Venice has been graced with two. The Floating City already has a long list of impressive museums and galleries – the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Venice Glass Museum, to name a few – and joining that collection is San Marco Art Centre and the Nicoleeta Fiorucci Foundation. San Marco Art Centre will be perched on the second floor of the Procuratie in St Mark's Square. The space will have a broad focus on everything from art and fashion to architecture, film and technology. Inside, there will be 16 galleries, all recently restored by esteemed British architect David Chipperfield. Two inaugural shows will coincide with the Venice Architecture Biennale (which runs from May 10-November 23), on Harry Seidler, an Australian architect, and Jung Youngsun, a Korean landscape designer. Founders David Hrankovik, Anna Bursaud and David Gramazio describe themselves as 'a spontaneous and experimental organisation, testing traditional models of arts and institutions and exhibition making,' according to The Art Newspaper. Sounds pretty swish, right? The San Marco Art Centre will open its doors on May 9, and the inaugural exhibitions are on from then until July 13 – there's more information on the SMAC website here. Next up is the Nicoleeta Fiorucci Foundation, a London-based non-profit organisation founded in 2021 and named after the renowned Italian-born arts patron. It's taken over a historic building in Venice's Dorsoduro district, which used to be owned by famous painter Ettore Tito back in the '20s, and launches on May 7 with a site-specific installation by Tolia Astakhishivili, a Georgian artist. This will run until November 23, and also features work by Thea Djordjadze and Zurab Astakhishvili. The foundation aims to fund the renovation and operational costs of the building – there's more information on it here. When in Italy
CairoScene
16-03-2025
- Business
- CairoScene
Sir David Chipperfield Brings His Architectural Rigor to Dubai
Sir David Chipperfield Brings His Architectural Rigor to Dubai In the ever-evolving architectural landscape of Dubai, where ambition meets spectacle, Sir David Chipperfield - the 2023 Pritzker Prize Laureate - brings his signature restraint and meticulous rigour to the city's Canal District. Park Lamar, a 160,000-square-metre development by Lamar Development balances exclusivity with accessibility, private sanctuaries with dynamic public realms. Slated for completion in 2028, the project unfolds as a composition of five buildings, integrating nearly 200 residences with a carefully curated mix of boutiques, a 72-room boutique hotel, restaurants, cultural spaces and offices. At its heart, three floors of amenities - including pools, spas and fitness spaces - cater to a spectrum of lifestyles. Chipperfield's architectural language at Park Lamar is a study in measured elegance. The design echoes the rhythmic clarity of his earlier Brutalist-inspired works, yet here, softened by a palette of natural materials, it leans into a more contemporary sensibility. The façade, defined by a strict modularity and stepped volumes, establishes a quiet dialogue between form and function, structure and experience. Perhaps its most striking gesture, however, is its seamless connection to Safa Park, Dubai's largest urban green space. The development's gardens act as a natural extension of this 64-hectare oasis, while generous atriums, landscaped terraces, and pedestrian promenades carve out intimate, walkable micro-neighbourhoods. The result is an architecture that resists the impulse to separate - blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor, private and public. Photography Credit: David Chipperfield
