ARCHITECTS FASTIVALS

Judging the Future Projects Final involved us in the flexing of our brains between macro projects for whole city transportation through inflatable venues and hospitals to minute and elegant interventions, writes Peter Cook. We were continually assured (of course) that the projects were based upon sustainable ethics and then, suspiciously often, draped in greenery. The winner – EMBT’s Spanish Pavilion for Shanghai - was something else however: a simultaneously logical, charming and clever extrapolation of the Spanish sense of dance (without in the least being corny) and a development that progressively involves the tradition and the actuality of Spanish basket-weaving. It was described with exemplary logic that suggests that this will not only be a beautiful object, but also the fruit of a different kind of sustaining – that of intense study, craft and wit over the whole period of design. This quality of ‘follow-through’ lifted it just ahead of the very beautiful Cemetery for Szentendre by A4 - awarded a commendation - with its evocative and sensitive drawings and a diagram that will demand equally impeccable choice of material. Another commendation is given to the East London Green Grid by Design for London that is a powerfully convincing strategic plan. This last project represented for Mark Dytham, Bill Hanway and myself (the jury) the ‘best of breed’ within the group that included various categories of infrastructure and strategy. Perhaps next year, this group can be siphoned-off from the rest of the ‘Future Projects´- not to kick them into touch, but more to elevate their significance and support their sponsors. A final quizzical note comes from the clearly observable difference in valued criteria (not just ‘style’) between the European architects and the Americans – or American-trained. Maybe a question of sensitivity, maybe a question of priorities - perhaps some journal might be bold enough to take this issue up some day?