Prince Charles Fails to Stop Modern Building

In a location near St. Paul's Cathedral, a new self-proclaimed "ultra-modernist" office and shopping complex is going up, despite the efforts of the Prince of Wales behind the scenes to squelch the project.

1 minute read

August 18, 2009, 7:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur


The Prince wrote a private letter to the developer suggesting that Jean Nouvel, the architect who had been chosen through an international competition, was not the right architect for the job.

"The private letter protesting against the designs came to light during a Guardian investigation into the way the prince has sometimes used private pressure to influence the country's planning process – from housing estates in Scotland to placing pressure on ministers to make his favourite structures listed buildings."

To catch up on the Prince Charles' controversy, click here.

Sunday, August 16, 2009 in The Guardian U.K.

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