Bricks and Water

October 2009. RIBA Lecture. Avery interesting free breakfast talk put on at the lecture hall next to London Zoo. Guest speakers, Paul Finch Director of the World Architectural Festival and chair of CABE and Commission for Architecture, is concerned that people only see canals as dark and dirty places and are reluctant to enjoy them. Tristram Hunt, historian and advisor to the Heritage Lottery Fund, felt that many UK development do not include their surrounding environment and too many people apply for funding for vanity projects. However, he strongly feels that canals were built for a purpose and the purpose should be improved, rather than just pimping it up for some other use. The Architect Rab Bennett feels canals are seen in their immediate environment and wants them to be linked to the surrounding area. As an example, when he redesigned the Royal Shakespeare Theatre he noticed how pedestrians did not connect the water and the theatre, but kept to very different paths. My ex-Director of Landscape Architecture at Kingston was also on the panel. Simon also felt there is often no synergy between the local environment and waterway and went on to talk about the workshops he has run between stakeholders and students. Julian Barwick of Development Securities and a Board member of London & Continental Railways feels that waterways can be seen as potential theme parks rather than simple land.