Overview
Architects increasingly operate on a global scene, and just as numerous British architects have proved highly successful at winning projects abroad, so architects from Europe, the United States and the Far East are making their mark in Britain. One thinks, for example, of Daniel Libeskind's Imperial War Museum North and Tadao Ando's new square and pavilion project, both in Manchester, or of Frank Gehry's Cancer Care Centre in Dundee. Well-known British practices such as Future Systems, Alsop Architects and Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners also inevitably feature prominently in the exciting international story of Britain's recent architectural renaissance, but so too do newer, smaller practices, including many based outside the capital, for example Ian Simpson Architects in Manchester, Glenn Howells Architects in Birmingham or Bauman Lyons Architects in Leeds.This book engagingly describes and illustrates over 100 outstanding projects, both large and small, from around Britain - none completed earlier than 2001, and some still under construction or planned. A substantial introduction describes the development of architecture in Britain since the 1960s, with an analysis of the influences that have moulded it and an examination of the major issues that look set to shape it in the future: urban regeneration, the current relevance of the 'vernacular', energy concerns, conservation and reuse, and the impact of new materials and technologies. This book makes a forceful contribution to the continuing debate about the role of architecture in forging a new environment and underpinning the growth of a healthy society.
About the Author:
Kenneth Powell was elected Honorary Fellowof the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2000