0:00:00 > 0:00:00THE CULTURE SHOW FKA Z473H/01 BRD000000
4:59:17 > 4:59:24.
4:59:30 > 4:59:32Hello and welcome to the Culture Show.
4:59:32 > 4:59:34This week, we're all about architecture,
4:59:34 > 4:59:38from the pants to the prize winning, from "eh?" to the "ooh!"
4:59:38 > 4:59:39We've got the full site survey.
4:59:40 > 4:59:42Coming up tonight...
4:59:42 > 4:59:46my pick of the shortlist for this year's Stirling Prize.
4:59:46 > 4:59:50What do young architects get up to when money's tight?
4:59:50 > 4:59:51The joy of self build.
4:59:51 > 4:59:55And hold on to your hard hats, it's the Carbuncle Cup.
4:59:57 > 5:00:00This Saturday, we'll find out which building has won
5:00:00 > 5:00:03the 2012 RIBA Stirling Prize.
5:00:03 > 5:00:04I've been taking a look
5:00:04 > 5:00:06at the nominees of the UK's
5:00:06 > 5:00:08most prestigious architecture award.
5:00:12 > 5:00:16Cities can be instantly recognised by the standout buildings
5:00:16 > 5:00:17on their skylines.
5:00:17 > 5:00:23But this year's Stirling Prize shortlist reflects a change from pointlessly protruding architecture
5:00:23 > 5:00:27towards a more down-to-earth kind of building.
5:00:27 > 5:00:32Most of these wouldn't jump out at you if you were scanning the skyline, but that's the point.
5:00:32 > 5:00:37This is an exciting return to a richer, more intelligent kind of architecture.
5:00:37 > 5:00:40Back on the shortlist is Sir David Chipperfield,
5:00:40 > 5:00:43this time with the Hepworth Museum in Wakefield,
5:00:43 > 5:00:47built as a tribute to the artist Barbara Hepworth.
5:00:49 > 5:00:52Eye-catching, yes, but it belongs in its surroundings.
5:00:59 > 5:01:04And Stanton Williams' Sainsbury Laboratory at Cambridge University,
5:01:04 > 5:01:09built to work in harmony with the botanic gardens cherished by the local community.
5:01:12 > 5:01:16There's a confident understatement here, a move away from shiny,
5:01:16 > 5:01:19glossy monoliths, towards something you might call the anti-icon.
5:01:19 > 5:01:22Architecture without bells and whistles,
5:01:22 > 5:01:25but with sensitivity and intelligence.
5:01:27 > 5:01:31And no-one sums this up more than superstar architect Rem Koolhaas,
5:01:31 > 5:01:34ironically known for his dislike of ego-led design,
5:01:34 > 5:01:37with two buildings on the shortlist.
5:01:37 > 5:01:41The first, Maggie's Cancer Care Centre in Glasgow,
5:01:41 > 5:01:44a ring of interlocking rectangular spaces,
5:01:44 > 5:01:47set in the grounds of Gartnavel Hospital.
5:01:47 > 5:01:50The second, New Court,
5:01:50 > 5:01:53is a series of stacked glass blocks in the city of London,
5:01:53 > 5:01:57a revamped headquarters for the Rothschild Bank, which sits next
5:01:57 > 5:02:02to showstoppers such as The Gherkin, but this is far less flamboyant.
5:02:02 > 5:02:05If you look at other skyscrapers that have gone up
5:02:05 > 5:02:08recently around the city, they are kind of logo architecture.
5:02:08 > 5:02:11But your building is quite sort of subtle and layered.
5:02:11 > 5:02:16First of all, I always have liked modest buildings.
5:02:16 > 5:02:20But this has been reinforced in the last ten years,
5:02:20 > 5:02:23simply because I could see architecture being pushed
5:02:23 > 5:02:29towards an increasingly extreme part of this spectrum.
5:02:29 > 5:02:32And I really felt that, if we all hang out there,
5:02:32 > 5:02:38we'll fall into a cliff, and...
5:02:38 > 5:02:41And that's what happened!
5:02:41 > 5:02:44And therefore, it's really important to withdraw from it.
5:02:44 > 5:02:47How did you find that went down with clients, to begin with,
5:02:47 > 5:02:49the kind of anti-icon approach?
5:02:49 > 5:02:54Interestingly enough, it is quite a hard sell...
5:02:57 > 5:03:00..I notice. And we rarely declare it in the beginning.
5:03:00 > 5:03:04Do you think subtlety will become more of a common quality?
5:03:04 > 5:03:06Subtlety will triumph?
5:03:06 > 5:03:11- Do you think it will?- Subtlety will triumph? No, I don't think so.
5:03:11 > 5:03:13I think there are too many...
5:03:13 > 5:03:17The sheer quantities we are dealing with, the economic system,
5:03:17 > 5:03:20the kind of political back and forth.
5:03:20 > 5:03:25All of that rule will not really lead to a mass outbreak of subtlety.
5:03:25 > 5:03:29You can be confident in that.
5:03:30 > 5:03:35The next building on the shortlist is far from subtle.
5:03:35 > 5:03:38In fact, it's the most seen building this summer in the whole world,
5:03:38 > 5:03:41the Olympic Stadium.
5:03:41 > 5:03:44But with its recycled materials and design to be part-dismantled,
5:03:44 > 5:03:48it has less of an impact than previous stadiums.
5:03:48 > 5:03:49But enough of Olympic glory,
5:03:49 > 5:03:54the last building on the list is the one I'm most excited about.
5:03:54 > 5:03:58The Lyric Theatre in Belfast stands head and shoulders above the rest,
5:03:58 > 5:04:00just not literally, of course.
5:04:00 > 5:04:03This is the fourth Stirling Prize nomination
5:04:03 > 5:04:06for architects O'Donnell and Tuomey, but these two don't do tricks.
5:04:06 > 5:04:10Their architecture is free from ostentatious overstatements.
5:04:10 > 5:04:14Their greatest efforts are put into the feel of the building.
5:04:19 > 5:04:23It's got an amazing smell, hasn't it? It's very woody.
5:04:23 > 5:04:27- It feels like being inside a... - Inside a violin case.- Well done!
5:04:27 > 5:04:31- That's quite intentional.- But it is all handmade and timber, yeah,
5:04:31 > 5:04:36- and it is all jointed together by craftsmen. - It feels like a kind of warm cave.
5:04:36 > 5:04:41- There's something very cavernous about it.- That's a nice description.
5:04:41 > 5:04:46The theatre has been designed to create a sense of community
5:04:46 > 5:04:52by creasing the seating so the audience can see each other, as well as a clear view of the stage.
5:04:52 > 5:04:56But as well as taking care of the enormous technical requirements
5:04:56 > 5:05:01of the theatre, they have remained true to their ethos of designing strong lasting buildings.
5:05:03 > 5:05:06There's been a huge reaction over the last few years,
5:05:06 > 5:05:10probably since the economic crisis here, against that kind of shiny
5:05:10 > 5:05:12iconography that really dominated
5:05:12 > 5:05:16in the Noughties and the late '90s. Do you see that as well?
5:05:16 > 5:05:19I don't know. I think it's hard to say.
5:05:19 > 5:05:23- We've never done shiny, really. - You haven't. That's what I mean.
5:05:23 > 5:05:25So the work we're doing now relates very much
5:05:25 > 5:05:27in the character of materials.
5:05:27 > 5:05:30I think we're consciously trying to make something
5:05:30 > 5:05:35that feels contemporary and works for its function, but that doesn't feel, kind of, shiny new.
5:05:35 > 5:05:38I would hope actually that as soon as this building is no longer new,
5:05:38 > 5:05:43that you wouldn't think about it as new, you would just think about it
5:05:43 > 5:05:45as part of the ground of Belfast.
5:05:45 > 5:05:49You've been on the shortlist now quite a few times.
5:05:49 > 5:05:52Do you think that architecture's had a turn?
5:05:52 > 5:05:54Do you think this is your moment?
5:05:54 > 5:05:58Some people asked us earlier, how would it feel if you won?
5:05:58 > 5:06:02And I have to say, I've no idea how it would feel if we won, but I know
5:06:02 > 5:06:06exactly how it will feel if we lose, because I've done that three times!
5:06:08 > 5:06:12The Lyric began in the founder's front room and it's still got
5:06:12 > 5:06:17a really homely feel, which is quite a feat in a building this civic.
5:06:17 > 5:06:22It's made of warm tactile materials, like wood, concrete and brick.
5:06:30 > 5:06:32It's an impeccably-made building,
5:06:32 > 5:06:34which, trust me, is really rare in the UK.
5:06:34 > 5:06:38And full of such deft touches and such complexity.
5:06:38 > 5:06:41We can look up there, and look up there, and look over there,
5:06:41 > 5:06:43so that every time you come back here,
5:06:43 > 5:06:44there's something new to explore.
5:06:44 > 5:06:46It's a very rich building.
5:06:46 > 5:06:48In fact, it's as close to perfection
5:06:48 > 5:06:50in a piece of architecture as you're likely to find.
5:06:53 > 5:06:56This year's Stirling Prize shortlist
5:06:56 > 5:06:58is a welcome return to architecture with heart.
5:06:58 > 5:07:01Buildings that sit in context with their surroundings,
5:07:01 > 5:07:04and work perfectly for their purpose.
5:07:04 > 5:07:05The Hepworth Museum.
5:07:05 > 5:07:07The Sainsbury Laboratory.
5:07:07 > 5:07:09Koolhaas's Maggie's Centre
5:07:09 > 5:07:10and New Court.
5:07:10 > 5:07:12The Olympic Stadium
5:07:12 > 5:07:14and the Lyric Theatre.
5:07:14 > 5:07:16I've got absolutely no idea which building
5:07:16 > 5:07:19the Stirling Prize judges are going to plump for,
5:07:19 > 5:07:21but this one's definitely my winner.
5:07:21 > 5:07:23I reckon this is the year we see the end
5:07:23 > 5:07:26of that star-chitect, show-off kind of building,
5:07:26 > 5:07:27and not before time.
5:07:27 > 5:07:29Who knows how the recession's
5:07:29 > 5:07:32really going to affect architecture in the future.
5:07:32 > 5:07:35For now, let's enjoy what we might look back on
5:07:35 > 5:07:37as a bit of a golden age in architecture.
5:07:54 > 5:07:56Next, we're all familiar with the idea
5:07:56 > 5:07:58that our home is our castle,
5:07:58 > 5:08:00but these days, it seems many Brits
5:08:00 > 5:08:03dream of building their own place as well as owning it.
5:08:03 > 5:08:06Charlie Luxton thinks they've got just the right idea.
5:08:12 > 5:08:16When you hear the words, "self build," what do YOU think of?
5:08:16 > 5:08:20Chances are, you probably imagine something like this.
5:08:23 > 5:08:25A grand design.
5:08:25 > 5:08:27Architecturally striking,
5:08:27 > 5:08:30built with vision and care.
5:08:30 > 5:08:33And who lives in a house like this?
5:08:33 > 5:08:34None other than the chair
5:08:34 > 5:08:38of the National Self Build Association, Ted Stevens.
5:08:38 > 5:08:40DOGS PANTS Hello! Hello, Ted!
5:08:40 > 5:08:42- Hello, fellas, how are you? - You all right?
5:08:42 > 5:08:44- Are you well? - Yeah, come on in. Come on in.
5:08:44 > 5:08:45Lovely. Look at this view!
5:08:45 > 5:08:47That is beautiful, isn't it?
5:08:50 > 5:08:51What a wonderful location!
5:08:51 > 5:08:53Yes, great location on a sunny day!
5:08:53 > 5:08:56So, as a self builder, did you sort of roll up your sleeves
5:08:56 > 5:08:58and sort of build it yourself?
5:08:58 > 5:09:00Well, it's a bit of a misnomer, self building,
5:09:00 > 5:09:03people think you have to lay the bricks yourself
5:09:03 > 5:09:06if you're doing a self build, but really, that isn't the way.
5:09:06 > 5:09:08As I said, the vast majority of people
5:09:08 > 5:09:10hire a builder to do the guts.
5:09:10 > 5:09:13- Get the experts in?- Absolutely.
5:09:14 > 5:09:17Because this is one of the extraordinary things
5:09:17 > 5:09:18about self build, isn't it?
5:09:18 > 5:09:21That this country is incredibly behind
5:09:21 > 5:09:23the rest of Europe and the rest of the world
5:09:23 > 5:09:25in the amount of self build that we do?
5:09:25 > 5:09:27Yeah. It's very mainstream in every other country.
5:09:27 > 5:09:30About half of all the homes in most European countries
5:09:30 > 5:09:32are built by people who hire an architect and builder,
5:09:32 > 5:09:34or do a little bit of the work themselves.
5:09:34 > 5:09:36But it's as easy as falling off a log in those countries.
5:09:36 > 5:09:40Whereas in England, it's only about one in 20 homes.
5:09:40 > 5:09:42It's about 5% of housing in England
5:09:42 > 5:09:44is self-delivery, self build.
5:09:44 > 5:09:47Currently, and yet, it's 50% in nearly every other country.
5:09:47 > 5:09:48What's the role of self build
5:09:48 > 5:09:51in delivering the masses of housing we need to build in this country?
5:09:51 > 5:09:54Well, the big change will come
5:09:54 > 5:09:57when groups of people are involved in schemes.
5:09:57 > 5:10:00So rather than individuals like me building a single house,
5:10:00 > 5:10:02when a gang of ten and 20 people get together,
5:10:02 > 5:10:04perhaps with a developer,
5:10:04 > 5:10:07perhaps with an architect or a contractor working with them,
5:10:07 > 5:10:08and then you'll get real scale.
5:10:08 > 5:10:10And that's the way they do it in Europe.
5:10:13 > 5:10:17The shining example of this right now
5:10:17 > 5:10:18is Almere in the Netherlands.
5:10:18 > 5:10:203,000 new homes,
5:10:20 > 5:10:22all of them self-delivered.
5:10:22 > 5:10:25There are eight simple rules to follow, which cover the height
5:10:25 > 5:10:29and how close to the edge of the plot people can build.
5:10:29 > 5:10:32But after that, they're left to get on with it.
5:10:32 > 5:10:35And instead of it being a bit of a mess, as many feared,
5:10:35 > 5:10:40Almere is in fact a really vibrant, stimulating environment,
5:10:40 > 5:10:45where a two-bedroom apartment will set you back just £69,000.
5:10:45 > 5:10:48So you're now actually beginning to see government support for this,
5:10:48 > 5:10:52because I know when I first started looking at this sector ten years ago,
5:10:52 > 5:10:55there was basically no government policy on self build -
5:10:55 > 5:10:56absolutely zero.
5:10:56 > 5:10:59I mean, that is beginning to change, isn't it?
5:10:59 > 5:11:01It has changed and the current government
5:11:01 > 5:11:02have been really supportive of it.
5:11:02 > 5:11:04So we've got a £30 million investment fund
5:11:04 > 5:11:06to help groups get projects away,
5:11:06 > 5:11:08and the biggest thing has been
5:11:08 > 5:11:10the change to the planning regulations.
5:11:10 > 5:11:13So now, for example, every planning authority in the UK
5:11:13 > 5:11:15has got to measure the demand there is in their area
5:11:15 > 5:11:17for people who want to build their own home
5:11:17 > 5:11:19and they've got to make some provision for it.
5:11:19 > 5:11:21That means they've got to make land available
5:11:21 > 5:11:23or encourage self build to happen in some way.
5:11:23 > 5:11:26In the past, that never happened. Never happened at all.
5:11:26 > 5:11:30So, finally, it seems as though, here in the UK,
5:11:30 > 5:11:34we're waking up to the potential of self build
5:11:34 > 5:11:36to deliver mass housing.
5:11:36 > 5:11:39And here in Bristol is one of the early exemplars
5:11:39 > 5:11:42of this whole approach. It's Ashley Vale.
5:11:49 > 5:11:51Ashley Vale is a brilliant example
5:11:51 > 5:11:54of what can happen when people work together.
5:11:54 > 5:11:57This site was going to be turned into a bunch of generic boxes
5:11:57 > 5:11:59by one of the big developers,
5:11:59 > 5:12:02but the locals got organised and convinced the council
5:12:02 > 5:12:04to sell the site to them instead,
5:12:04 > 5:12:06and set about building their own development.
5:12:09 > 5:12:11We've got about 40 homes on the site.
5:12:11 > 5:12:15Right, so, I mean, that's not just one person building a house.
5:12:15 > 5:12:19That's quite a serious development delivered through self build.
5:12:19 > 5:12:22Delivered through self build, but more importantly,
5:12:22 > 5:12:23delivered through community.
5:12:23 > 5:12:26So the community arranged, took on the site,
5:12:26 > 5:12:28the community got people involved in the process,
5:12:28 > 5:12:30and it was people from the community that then
5:12:30 > 5:12:33got involved in actually building their own home.
5:12:33 > 5:12:36So, because we came up with 20 plots and some units in the middle,
5:12:36 > 5:12:41it allowed us to get the plot prices down to around £25-£45,000.
5:12:41 > 5:12:44- Wow!- Which included the infrastructure, as well.
5:12:44 > 5:12:47That is cheap! That is REALLY cheap!
5:12:47 > 5:12:49What's the cost to then build a house?
5:12:49 > 5:12:51Well, how long is a piece of string?!
5:12:51 > 5:12:55You know, a lot of the houses on this site were probably built
5:12:55 > 5:12:57between a cost of about £40,000
5:12:57 > 5:13:00up to probably about £120,000 for the build cost.
5:13:00 > 5:13:03Right, so some people in this development
5:13:03 > 5:13:07have got themselves a house for about £75,000 or £80,000?
5:13:07 > 5:13:08Yes.
5:13:08 > 5:13:09Now, you're not just getting
5:13:09 > 5:13:11a house that's cheaper,
5:13:11 > 5:13:12but you're getting something
5:13:12 > 5:13:15that you've been involved in the process, which is just...
5:13:15 > 5:13:17you know, you almost can't put value to that.
5:13:17 > 5:13:21If the government is keen for the housing sector
5:13:21 > 5:13:24to help jumpstart our ailing economy,
5:13:24 > 5:13:27then it seems to me self build is a perfect model.
5:13:27 > 5:13:30Developer-led projects are all about maximising profit,
5:13:30 > 5:13:35and those profits go straight to their shareholders.
5:13:35 > 5:13:38Self-build, the other hand, is all about spreading the money locally.
5:13:38 > 5:13:43The money you pay a local joiner on a Friday is going to find its way
5:13:43 > 5:13:44into a local curry house that night,
5:13:44 > 5:13:46and into local shops the following day.
5:13:46 > 5:13:51Could these new self build projects hold the key
5:13:51 > 5:13:54to bringing us out of recession?
5:13:54 > 5:13:56In Leeds, The Lilac Project is now underway.
5:13:56 > 5:13:58It's a co-housing scheme
5:13:58 > 5:14:02with a real emphasis on sustainability.
5:14:02 > 5:14:05What's it going to look like when it's finished?
5:14:05 > 5:14:08These are the two-storey houses.
5:14:08 > 5:14:09There's houses here.
5:14:09 > 5:14:13In here, there'll be a beautifully landscaped area,
5:14:13 > 5:14:17with food and play all happening here.
5:14:17 > 5:14:20There'll be a pond in the middle.
5:14:20 > 5:14:23'The walls of these houses are made from - wait for it - straw.
5:14:23 > 5:14:27'ModCell is a system where bales are pinned together
5:14:27 > 5:14:31'with sharpened wooden broom handles, inside a timber frame,
5:14:31 > 5:14:33'which is then rendered with lime.
5:14:33 > 5:14:36'It's cheap, it's plentiful, and it's done locally.
5:14:36 > 5:14:40'ModCell have set up a flying factory at a nearby farm,
5:14:40 > 5:14:43'keeping transport costs down.'
5:14:43 > 5:14:47The timber cladding, lime render,
5:14:47 > 5:14:51- super insulated, super airtight. - Yeah.
5:14:51 > 5:14:52Is it really affordable?
5:14:52 > 5:14:54I mean, how much is your house going to cost?
5:14:54 > 5:14:57And what is going to be the running costs?
5:14:57 > 5:14:59The energy bill is going to be the heating bill,
5:14:59 > 5:15:01which is only going to be about £60 a year.
5:15:01 > 5:15:04£60 a year, to have a nice, warm home?
5:15:04 > 5:15:06- Can't wait! Can't wait! - Brilliant, isn't it?!
5:15:08 > 5:15:12More sustainable, cheaper houses. What's not to love?
5:15:12 > 5:15:15Could it be that we're on the cusp of a revolution?
5:15:15 > 5:15:18Let's say you're interested in a self build.
5:15:18 > 5:15:20What we need to do to get this thing to speed up?
5:15:20 > 5:15:22To make this revolution happen?
5:15:22 > 5:15:25Well, it's about people in the end,
5:15:25 > 5:15:28and the power that they've got. So I would call on groups of people,
5:15:28 > 5:15:30young people, it's perfect for them.
5:15:30 > 5:15:33Make a bit of noise. You don't have to set fire to cars,
5:15:33 > 5:15:35but convince people in councils
5:15:35 > 5:15:38and in planning authorities that it's a good way of building,
5:15:38 > 5:15:41and THEN, then, it really will take off.
5:15:42 > 5:15:44Now, you may not have heard of the Carbuncle Cup,
5:15:44 > 5:15:46but the clue's in the name.
5:15:46 > 5:15:50This is the one gong over which no architect gloats.
5:15:50 > 5:15:52The organisers hope that by spotlighting the bad,
5:15:52 > 5:15:54they might encourage the good.
5:15:54 > 5:15:57I met up with one of this year's judges, Owen Hatherley,
5:15:57 > 5:16:00to take a tour around some of Britain's most 'orrible edifices.
5:16:05 > 5:16:11A lot of modern buildings in Britain, I think, look a bit ugly.
5:16:11 > 5:16:14You don't need me, or Prince Charles, to tell you this.
5:16:14 > 5:16:17But what is proposed seems to me
5:16:17 > 5:16:19like a monstrous carbuncle.
5:16:21 > 5:16:25Just look around you. And take a look at something like this.
5:16:25 > 5:16:27Or this.
5:16:27 > 5:16:30Or this.
5:16:30 > 5:16:32Pig-ugly stuff! Lots of it.
5:16:32 > 5:16:35Everywhere.
5:16:35 > 5:16:39Cluttering up the streets, offending my eye at every turn.
5:16:43 > 5:16:47In 2006, architectural journal Building Design
5:16:47 > 5:16:51launched its controversial Carbuncle Cup.
5:16:51 > 5:16:53The cup is awarded to any architect
5:16:53 > 5:16:54whose work over the previous 12 months
5:16:54 > 5:16:58has not quite come up to the aesthetic standards
5:16:58 > 5:17:01of, say, Bob the Builder.
5:17:01 > 5:17:04The roll call of previous winners has not been pretty.
5:17:04 > 5:17:08This year, a strong field of ham-fisted,
5:17:08 > 5:17:10comical constructions made the list.
5:17:10 > 5:17:13Among the nominees were Anish Kapoor's Olympic commission,
5:17:13 > 5:17:15The Orbit.
5:17:15 > 5:17:17For once, words fail me.
5:17:19 > 5:17:21A library in Birmingham with a strange shard
5:17:21 > 5:17:23sticking out of the end.
5:17:23 > 5:17:26And Belfast's Titanic Museum, which is meant to represent
5:17:26 > 5:17:28the collision of the famous ocean liner
5:17:28 > 5:17:30with the iceberg that sank it.
5:17:30 > 5:17:32Hmmm...
5:17:32 > 5:17:35Developers and architects hate this award and who can blame them?
5:17:35 > 5:17:36Who'd want to win it?
5:17:36 > 5:17:39But in an age of shoddily designed,
5:17:39 > 5:17:41over-marketed, profit-driven architecture,
5:17:41 > 5:17:44we need this prize more than ever before.
5:17:44 > 5:17:47The writer Owen Hatherley
5:17:47 > 5:17:48has spent the last few years
5:17:48 > 5:17:51surveying the state of our architecture
5:17:51 > 5:17:54in his two books, A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain,
5:17:54 > 5:17:57and his latest, A New Kind of Bleak.
5:17:57 > 5:18:00He's also served as a judge on the Carbuncle panel,
5:18:00 > 5:18:03so who better to be my guide around this year's winner,
5:18:03 > 5:18:05the Cutty Sark.
5:18:05 > 5:18:08Owen, why did you pick this building?
5:18:08 > 5:18:09It was partly due to the fact that
5:18:09 > 5:18:11it took something that worked quite well
5:18:11 > 5:18:13architecturally and as public space,
5:18:13 > 5:18:15and they've managed to make it crap.
5:18:15 > 5:18:17You can sort of see that the idea was, you know,
5:18:17 > 5:18:18once it sailed on the sea,
5:18:18 > 5:18:21and now it's going to sail on some, like, sea of glass.
5:18:21 > 5:18:23And the whole idea is just completely infantile.
5:18:23 > 5:18:25Why do you think they've raised it up
5:18:25 > 5:18:27and encased it in this glass donut?
5:18:27 > 5:18:29I think there's two reasons,
5:18:29 > 5:18:32one of which is so people can go, "Ooh, wow!"
5:18:32 > 5:18:35And feel that the 12 quid that they've spent on it is worthwhile.
5:18:35 > 5:18:37On the other, and I quote, was
5:18:37 > 5:18:41"to create a corporate function room to rival that of Tate Modern."
5:18:41 > 5:18:43- Was it a hard choice this year? - Actually, no.
5:18:43 > 5:18:45Usually, there's a bit of a fight over it.
5:18:45 > 5:18:47But this time, it was unanimous,
5:18:47 > 5:18:49which I think says a lot about this building.
5:18:49 > 5:18:51There was just complete agreement
5:18:51 > 5:18:53that this was the worst building built in the last year.
5:18:53 > 5:18:55How does it go down with architects and developers
5:18:55 > 5:18:58that win this prize, or are nominated?
5:18:58 > 5:19:00Sometimes they take it with a certain amount of irony.
5:19:00 > 5:19:03The developers of Mann Island in Liverpool, which was nominated,
5:19:03 > 5:19:06contacted us to tell us it was finished. It'd been nominated previously
5:19:06 > 5:19:10but wasn't eligible, because it was under construction.
5:19:10 > 5:19:12So finally, we could get at it.
5:19:12 > 5:19:15They're probably quite relieved it didn't actually win!
5:19:15 > 5:19:18But, you know, sometimes it's taken with a certain amount of irony.
5:19:18 > 5:19:20This year's shortlist was controversial, wasn't it?
5:19:20 > 5:19:23Yes, this year, it went to Nicholas Grimshaw,
5:19:23 > 5:19:25who's quite a well-respected architect,
5:19:25 > 5:19:28designed a lot of important things, like the Waterloo Eurostar terminal
5:19:28 > 5:19:31and Oxford Ice Rink, and lots of things that are very well regarded.
5:19:31 > 5:19:33And we got much more response this time -
5:19:33 > 5:19:35dozens and dozens of letters.
5:19:35 > 5:19:37The general gist seems to be, you know,
5:19:37 > 5:19:40"This can't be the winner! It's by Grimshaw!
5:19:40 > 5:19:41"He's a good architect."
5:19:41 > 5:19:44And I think, in many ways, that's all the more reason to give it to him.
5:19:44 > 5:19:46You know, that he should know better.
5:19:46 > 5:19:49So what's the point of the prize?
5:19:49 > 5:19:51One of the reasons for it is, I don't think people,
5:19:51 > 5:19:54especially in the world of architecture itself,
5:19:54 > 5:19:57realise how bad British architecture actually is.
5:19:57 > 5:20:00That we've, especially in the last 15 years,
5:20:00 > 5:20:02but really for quite some time,
5:20:02 > 5:20:05tolerated really, really, really, bad buildings.
5:20:05 > 5:20:07And it's just a way of going,
5:20:07 > 5:20:08"Stop doing this, please!"
5:20:08 > 5:20:11It's a sort of naming and shaming thing, really.
5:20:11 > 5:20:13That's the idea behind it.
5:20:13 > 5:20:16And hoping desperately that people might take heed.
5:20:16 > 5:20:18And do you think they're taking heed?
5:20:18 > 5:20:19It's been going for six years now!
5:20:19 > 5:20:21No! But six years isn't a long time.
5:20:21 > 5:20:25Got plenty of time to drive the point home, I think.
5:20:27 > 5:20:30Next tonight, in such a grim economic climate,
5:20:30 > 5:20:32young and inexperienced architects
5:20:32 > 5:20:35must have nothing more to do than sharpen their pencils, right?
5:20:35 > 5:20:37Wrong. Here's Olly Wainwright.
5:20:48 > 5:20:51The architecture of the 20th century
5:20:51 > 5:20:53can be understood as the economy made real.
5:20:56 > 5:21:01A physical barometer of financial capital.
5:21:03 > 5:21:06In times of recession, cities are often left with half-finished stumps,
5:21:06 > 5:21:08haunted by the ghosts of former boom times,
5:21:08 > 5:21:10while architects are left with time on their hands.
5:21:10 > 5:21:12But in the past, these periods have proved to be
5:21:12 > 5:21:14some of the most creative and dynamic,
5:21:14 > 5:21:16with optimistic new movements
5:21:16 > 5:21:18emerging from the depths of economic gloom.
5:21:20 > 5:21:24Out of the 1930s depression came the brave new world of modernism,
5:21:24 > 5:21:26and the glamour of deco.
5:21:26 > 5:21:30The oil crisis of the '70s spawned futuristic ecological utopias,
5:21:30 > 5:21:32and marked the beginnings of sustainable design.
5:21:32 > 5:21:37While the '90s downturn saw a cool new wave of minimalist chic,
5:21:37 > 5:21:40a Puritan backlash against the excesses of the '80s.
5:21:43 > 5:21:47In this recession, the current generation of graduates is taking advantage
5:21:47 > 5:21:52of the glut of empty spaces, to try out new ways of working.
5:21:52 > 5:21:54Young collective, Assemble,
5:21:54 > 5:21:57have transformed an abandoned warehouse into both their workshop
5:21:57 > 5:22:01and a lively cultural space, called Sugarhouse Studios.
5:22:01 > 5:22:05But their first project was creating a temporary cinema
5:22:05 > 5:22:08within the shell of an abandoned petrol station.
5:22:08 > 5:22:12We started by noticing the multitude of empty petrol stations in London,
5:22:12 > 5:22:14and we thought they presented an amazing opportunity
5:22:14 > 5:22:18to turn this kind of ex- bit of automobile infrastructure
5:22:18 > 5:22:20into a kind of new type of public space.
5:22:20 > 5:22:23We looked at all the classic cinematic iconography,
5:22:23 > 5:22:27like flip-up cinema seats and beautiful red velvet curtains,
5:22:27 > 5:22:29and we tried to figure out ways
5:22:29 > 5:22:32of remaking them with a very limited budget.
5:22:33 > 5:22:36Assemble's next project, Folly For a Flyover,
5:22:36 > 5:22:40posed as a building trapped beneath A12 motorway.
5:22:40 > 5:22:42Influenced by red brick Hackney houses nearby,
5:22:42 > 5:22:46it was hand-built by volunteers with reclaimed local materials,
5:22:46 > 5:22:49and for a six-week period, hosted a pop-up program
5:22:49 > 5:22:51of canal side cinema, performance and play.
5:22:54 > 5:22:57That was really about, kind of, exploring the potential
5:22:57 > 5:23:02for an as-yet unused space created when the motorway was built,
5:23:02 > 5:23:05to, kind of, offer a new type of public space in the area.
5:23:05 > 5:23:09And the fact that things which make it dangerous, or make it unused,
5:23:09 > 5:23:13like being undercover and kind of slightly out of the way,
5:23:13 > 5:23:15can actually be qualities and assets,
5:23:15 > 5:23:17if they're celebrated in the right way.
5:23:17 > 5:23:19I mean, this is quite unusual work for architects to be doing.
5:23:19 > 5:23:21Do you think the role of the architect is changing,
5:23:21 > 5:23:23or has changed, since the recession?
5:23:23 > 5:23:25I suppose we didn't want to get stuck behind a desk,
5:23:25 > 5:23:27and we're interested in the kind of,
5:23:27 > 5:23:29the way things were built,
5:23:29 > 5:23:30and the way nails went into wood,
5:23:30 > 5:23:32as much as the decisions
5:23:32 > 5:23:37about which sites were used and how things were designed.
5:23:37 > 5:23:40Just around the corner at Three Mills,
5:23:40 > 5:23:43a young practice, who call themselves We Made That,
5:23:43 > 5:23:46have worked in close consultation with the local community
5:23:46 > 5:23:49to create a new kind of play space, Wild Kingdom.
5:23:51 > 5:23:54The site was re-landscaped last year,
5:23:54 > 5:23:55and from that landscaping,
5:23:55 > 5:23:57they found lots and lots of lumps of granite,
5:23:57 > 5:23:58and bits and pieces.
5:23:58 > 5:24:00So we try to be quite opportunistic
5:24:00 > 5:24:02with how we use those things.
5:24:02 > 5:24:04How we use this landform to create something that's playable.
5:24:04 > 5:24:07It was very much, I think, about
5:24:07 > 5:24:09almost making it appear like it grew out of the landscape.
5:24:09 > 5:24:13You have some things that natural, some things reclaimed from site,
5:24:13 > 5:24:15and some things that are brought in as new,
5:24:15 > 5:24:19but they come together to create this slightly other environment,
5:24:19 > 5:24:22which is what we're always aiming for with the Wild Kingdom.
5:24:22 > 5:24:25In the 90s recession, lots of practices got by doing extensions for rich people,
5:24:25 > 5:24:27whereas your work is engaged with the public sector.
5:24:27 > 5:24:29Is that a change, across the board?
5:24:29 > 5:24:31It was an architect that told me
5:24:31 > 5:24:33the best time to set up a practice is in a recession,
5:24:33 > 5:24:35because you're doing it because you love it,
5:24:35 > 5:24:37and finding projects you're interested in.
5:24:37 > 5:24:39You don't do it because you can make a fast buck,
5:24:39 > 5:24:41you do it because you're passionate about doing that.
5:24:41 > 5:24:44And if you do that, and you can do it during a recession,
5:24:44 > 5:24:46then you can certainly survive into the future.
5:24:46 > 5:24:47So I'm optimistic.
5:24:51 > 5:24:52The new wave of young designers
5:24:52 > 5:24:55are taking the lead with a hands-on approach,
5:24:55 > 5:24:58and building their projects themselves,
5:24:58 > 5:25:01like this clever theatre-come-bar space in Hackney Wick.
5:25:03 > 5:25:06A lot of our designs sort of start out
5:25:06 > 5:25:08with a set of rules that are given
5:25:08 > 5:25:10by the dimensions of the scaffold boards.
5:25:10 > 5:25:12So the stadium seating,
5:25:12 > 5:25:14two boards up, three boards back,
5:25:14 > 5:25:16and that's kind of where you start with.
5:25:16 > 5:25:19We've used school chairs and, I think,
5:25:19 > 5:25:22chairs from Indian restaurants
5:25:22 > 5:25:25that have been cut down and kind of re-upholstered.
5:25:25 > 5:25:32And then the lino which lines all of the vertical surfaces
5:25:32 > 5:25:35was from the media centre of the Olympic Park.
5:25:35 > 5:25:38And they had a couple of thousand square foot of it or something,
5:25:38 > 5:25:40so we had some of that, and whacked that up.
5:25:40 > 5:25:42I mean, one of the biggest things here was, like,
5:25:42 > 5:25:45the bar has got to make money to fund the theatre,
5:25:45 > 5:25:49but you can't have noise from the bar and restaurant.
5:25:49 > 5:25:51So we were trying to separate the sound barrier,
5:25:51 > 5:25:52and getting the lino
5:25:52 > 5:25:55from the Olympics was one of the biggest parts of that.
5:25:57 > 5:26:01Practice's first commission was to make a temporary bar
5:26:01 > 5:26:03for the roof of a multi-storey car park in Peckham.
5:26:03 > 5:26:05Frank's Cafe was constructed
5:26:05 > 5:26:08from scaffolding planks, ratchet straps, and a big, red tarpaulin,
5:26:08 > 5:26:11all put together by an army of volunteers
5:26:11 > 5:26:14in just 25 days.
5:26:14 > 5:26:16We decided it was a summer project. It was going to be fun.
5:26:16 > 5:26:18And then we just e-mailed all our friends.
5:26:18 > 5:26:22And loads of them had just finished university,
5:26:22 > 5:26:24and so a troupe turned up.
5:26:24 > 5:26:28And 300 scaffolding boards arrived at the bottom of the car park.
5:26:28 > 5:26:30So the first challenge was working out
5:26:30 > 5:26:32how to get them from the bottom to the top.
5:26:32 > 5:26:35It was kind of an amazing place to be.
5:26:35 > 5:26:37It felt like this island above the city
5:26:37 > 5:26:39and beyond all bureaucracy,
5:26:39 > 5:26:41and beyond normal rules.
5:26:41 > 5:26:44And we were on that island with our friends,
5:26:44 > 5:26:47building this crazy thing,
5:26:47 > 5:26:49which we didn't really have any expectations
5:26:49 > 5:26:52of what it would be, beyond completing it.
5:26:52 > 5:26:56While most of these projects are temporary structures, put up for fleeting festivities,
5:26:56 > 5:26:58they are causing important ripples.
5:26:58 > 5:27:00They're driven by a light-footed,
5:27:00 > 5:27:03bottom-up approach, and an energetic desire to build,
5:27:03 > 5:27:05with as much interest in the process as the final product.
5:27:05 > 5:27:08It's a promising start.
5:27:11 > 5:27:13That's just about it for tonight.
5:27:13 > 5:27:14Join us next week to look at the work
5:27:14 > 5:27:16of New York artist, Rashid Johnson,
5:27:16 > 5:27:19and check out Sundance hit, Beasts of the Southern Wild.
5:27:19 > 5:27:22We'll leave you tonight with DJ Roger Sanchez,
5:27:22 > 5:27:25and his musical tribute to the formidable architect, Zaha Hadid.
5:27:25 > 5:27:26Goodnight.
5:27:26 > 5:27:31MUSIC: "Zaha Hadid" by Roger Sanchez
5:28:09 > 5:28:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd