A Royal Pain for British Architects?

Twenty years after Prince Charles' tirade on Modern architecture, a look at the effect it has had on British architecture.

1 minute read

May 6, 2004, 9:00 AM PDT

By Connie Chung


Several years after Prince Charles' outburst at The Royal Institute of British Architects, the architecture profession was split "between those who felt under attack and those who agreed with his enthusiasm for traditional building or saw it as a good career move to say they did... Today, with London in the grip of an unprecedented explosion of high-rise towers and ever-more exhibitionistic architecture, what effect did the prince have? In one very conspicuous way, things have moved in exactly the opposite direction." While some high-profile British designers hold a grudge against Prince Charles for his involvement in many of their projects, others are at least grateful that he has gotten people in the country talking and thinking more about design issues.

Thanks to Connie Chung

Sunday, May 2, 2004 in The Guardian Unlimited

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