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Architect urges Charles to end barracks row
Mira Bar-Hillel11 May 2009
The head of the Royal Institute of British Architects today called on Prince Charles to use a speech to mend relations with the profession.
A group of leading architects want to boycott the Prince of Wales's lecture to the organisation tomorrow after he criticised the designs of the £1billion redevelopment of Chelsea barracks.
But RIBA's president, Sunand Prasad, urged the Prince to end hostilities and called for guests to attend.
The Prince wrote to the Qatari royal family, who are developing the barracks, to criticise Richard Rogers's plans. He called the scheme "unsympathetic" and "unsuitable" and promoted a design by Quinlan Terry, angering designers.
The Prince's lecture is part of the royal institute's 175th anniversary and is the first time he has spoken there since 1984, when he called a proposed extension to the National Gallery "a monstrous carbuncle".
Mr Prasad said: "A lot has happened in the 25 years since then. We are now in a different culture and we need to appeal beyond the Prince to the public."
Reader views (1)
A speech to mend relations with the profession? Perhaps he would have HRH admit to making a mistake to sooth the poor dears? He's either right or he's wrong. He either has a right to comment like everyone else, or he doesn't.
In a world where there can be no dissent there can only be a dictatorship in any given field. And in this particular field, this would lead inevitably to further monstrous carbuncles created for the self-glorification of architects who need fear no restraint.
- Rogan, Irving, 11/05/2009 14:16
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