London's Sexiest Olympics Architecture is for its Infrastructure

30 July 2009 - 9:00am

As it prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, the City of London is getting closer to completion on some of its event-related infrastructure. So far, the best buildings are more nuts-and-bolts than flash, according to this piece.

A water pumping station and an electricity substation are winning high marks from this reviewer.

"While the drama of Zaha Hadid’s pool is drained away by continual value engineering, the electricity substation by UK practice Nord will be completed this summer and will start functioning in 2010. It will set an impressive standard. A beautifully textured brick box that hides transformers and coolers; suited both to the semi-industrial context of the Lea Valley and to the architecture of London’s Victorian parks."

Source: Blueprint, July 29, 2009
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But why not just require basic accessibility, such as no-step entrances and wider doorways? It seems off the mark to argue that it's inappropriate to place this kind of requirement on homebuilders.