The Carbuncle Cup is not your standard competition; launched
in 2006 by Building Design (BD)
magazine, the tongue-in-cheek competition is designed to contrast the
prestigious Stirling Prize and highlight those buildings believed to have
somewhat failed in regards to design and aesthetics. It’s a competition that
nobody wants to win, yet somebody has to.
This year’s reluctant winner has now been announced as PLP
Architecture, who have been awarded the title for their work on the Nova
Victoria development in London. The development itself occupies a full city
block in the Victoria district of Westminster and is comprised of two office
buildings designed by PLP Architecture and a residential building designed by
Benson & Forsyth. The two office towers, Nova North and Nova South, reach
12 and 16 storeys high respectively and contain 480,000sq ft of office space. However, if the decision of the Carbuncle Cup judges is anything to go by, the
development’s £380m price tag may have been squandered by poor design.
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Img: Building Design |
The developers describe the development as “distinct and
architecturally daring”, and assert that “together, [Nova North and Nova South]
create a new landmark business address in London.”
The Carbuncle Cup’s panel of judges, which this year
includes BD editor Thomas Lane, Twentieth Century Society director Catherine
Croft, Urbed director and chair of the Academy of Urbanism David Rudlin, and BD
assistant editor Elizabeth Hopkirk, strongly disagree with the aforementioned
assessment.
The judges describe the Nova Victoria development in
less-than-flattering terms, with Twentieth Century Society’s Catherine Croft
stating, “Nova should have been good as it’s a prestige site. It makes me want
to cringe physically. It’s a crass assault on all your senses from the moment
you leave the Tube station.”
Urbed director David Rudlin cited concerns over the building’s
triangular forms and excess of zig-zagging fins, commenting that “there’s no
variety and you can’t read the floors.” His main issue with the building’s
design however is the bright red, cathedral-like spire. He said, “It’s got the
same proportions as Salisbury Cathedral. For me the spire gives it carbuncular
status – otherwise it’s just a bad building.”
Meanwhile, BD editor Thomas Lane poured a bevy of criticism upon
the development. He asserts that, “The architect appears to have been inspired
by the fractured, angular shapes beloved of star architects like Frank Gehry
and Daniel Libeskind and applied these to a run-of-the-mill spec office
development.
“The result is two large blocks sliced and diced to create
to create a series of angular volumes drunkenly leaning on each other. These
volumes are clad with a medley of oversized vertical fins that zig-zag up the
façade to give each elevation a headache-inducing moiré pattern when viewed
from the side.”
While it may seem unjust to dole out criticism for criticism’s
sake, the Carbuncle Cup arguably plays an important role in the architecture
and design industry, highlighting those features which, in hindsight, are
largely undesired by the general populace. By paying attention to the factors
which contribute to the appearance of particular buildings on each year’s
shortlist, those responsible for the creation of the next generation of
workspaces can hopefully refine their practices and create appealing spaces
with pleasing aesthetic touches.
Sam Bonson
Sam
is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He is currently
working as a content writer, journalist & editor as he continues to expand
his horizons.
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