RMJM are commissions from clients who specifically wanted Alsop to be associated with their project. For example, the Chinese businessman who approached Alsop in 2002 to design a waterfront terminal and office park in Shanghai (AJ 25.11.10) – and who has since formed good links with Sparch, the inheritors of the project – has recently been back in
lucrative commissions for new stations for the Toronto Transit Commission back from Alsop Sparch, the firm he walked away from last summer. Why? Because the client wanted Alsop himself on board. His talent, but just as importantly, his fame, has proved essential to the commission. After all, his former colleagues at Alsop Sparch would
The starchitect is still more thoroughly worshipped than any other aspect of architectural culture
touch with Alsop in his new RMJM studio and brokered a huge new masterplan project for what Alsop dubbed ‘China’s Florida’. Why not go with Sparch, you might ask, which has done a brilliant job on the Shanghai International Cruise Terminal (left)? Furthermore, in what must be a tough deal to take, Alsop has wrestled
management of construction can avoid the well-known pitfalls of the construction industry, thus saving the client from exposure to extra costs and delays. Again, we claim to save our clients more than the cost of our fee - but it is hard to prove. Publicity for the profession tends to focus on the design aesthetics. More focus on the benefits of architect-led project management (which actually occupies the majority of working time for many architects) could be helpful. For cost-conscious clients, the prospect of getting more money out of an architect than they put in is usually persuasive. Jon Newey, partner, EKJN Architects, Linlithgow
aj 02.12.10
have certainly done a very good job. It may be hard to admit – and even
harder to accept your own role in maintaining the status quo – but the truth is that the architectural profession is ego-driven and fame- obsessed and has been since it came into being. Why should we expect clients to behave any differently?
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This year, the AJ pledged to bring you more building studies, and cover every relevant project in British architecture. It’s been a heavyweight month: we’ve covered Jean Nouvel, Zaha Hadid, Mossessian & Partners, Caruso St John, the Manser Medal winners and three projects conceived by Will Alsop. We’re now working on our Small Projects issues, featuring 24 projects built for £250,000 or less. Watch for those in January, as well as our bumper 108-page City Architecture special. We’ll also provide an end-of-year index of buildings and working details with our final issue of 2010.
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