INTRODUCTION TO PROJECTS BUILT
This first group of ‘one-off’ projects have all been built.
As in the case of the Stockport project, some of these were built in a form that was modified from that originally intended, albeit with some original principles being maintained.
Castle Mall in Norwich, the largest of the projects, was finally realised after more than a decade of negotiation. This was a pretty unique situation. Larger schemes, one might almost say all schemes, survive economic ups and downs with a difficulties that are too often seriously aggravated by a planning system seemingly wedded to procedure rather than outcomes. Castle Mall started as contrary to policy but in the end the powerful logic of the ideas, coupled with a leader of the City Council perceptive enough to back them, prevailed. Even so, the follow up processes were a bit of a nightmare that contributed little that added quality, costing time and money that at times threatened the result.
Logic of an economic sort is so often a far more effective ‘driver’ than planning logic or architectural excellence. The two new BUPA hospitals got built in their edge of town situations for economic and politically expedient reasons rather than for those of good planning. For better planning they would have been placed in their adjacent towns.
It is for reasons encountered in the course of professional life that occasional forays were made into the world of architectural and planning politics and have given rise to the third category in this website presentation.
