Commentary on the Bbc Video Clip Report

COMMENTARY ON THE BBC VIDEO CLIP REPORT

The British architecture is quite interesting because some of the most admired architects around the world are British. I also make a reference to the RIBA’s Stirling prizes, because only two out of the six short listed buildings are found in Britain. Hence, the question is why the works of these architects are more recognized and appreciated abroad than in UK.

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is the UK leading body for architecture and architectural professionalism. It provides supports for over 40,500 members worldwide with training, technical services, publications and other events (e.g. the RIBA’s Stirling prizes award). The RIBA works in collaboration with the British government in order to improve the qualities, designs of public building and new homes. Every year, the RIBA gives award for an outstanding architecture in Europe. The winning architect receives a cash prize of Ј20,000. The prize has the name of the great British architect Sir James Stirling (1926-1992). The Museum of Modern Literature in Germany, designed by David CHIPPERFIELD, was declared the winner of 2007 edition (www.architecture.com).

What we can observe on this video clip that British architects are famous all around the world. Indeed, David CHIPPERFIELD has two buildings on the Stirling prize’s shortlist, one in Spain, the America’s Cup Building, and one in Germany, the museum of modern literature. And he thinks that English people tend to regard modern things as something bombastically different (BBC News: www.news.bbc.co.uk).

So for him, British are not ready to appreciate modern things. He also thinks “Britain gets the architecture it deserves. We don’t value architecture, we don’t take it seriously, we don’t want to pay for it and the architect isn’t trusted” (UK News: www.timesonline.co.uk). For him, architects are not enough trusted and recognized for their work, because British prefer pay for a standard house or building instead of a building made by an architects. So architects are suffering from a lack of credibility in UK.

According to David Staples (MD of Theatre Projects Consultants), British architects do not have a good reputation in UK, and are so unknown for their work here. Indeed, we can notice that the tendency today is with the export of the British architect’s knowledge, more appreciated abroad that in England (www.britishdesign.co.uk).

Overseas, British architects are designing buildings including Parliaments, cultural buildings, commercial developments, housing, airports and bridges. This work is the most visible and manifest of the creative industries. British have a high reputation abroad and that develop and promote the British architect image, but also the UK image. This is a fact, British architects are more trusted and appreciated abroad.

But according to Hugh ALDERSEY-WILLIAMS, “Fees paid here to overseas architects have been around three per cent of those received by British architects building abroad.” (ALDERSEY-WILLIAMS, 2000). This journalist thinks that British architects choose not to work here because the fees are not enough, and there is an immense competition from foreign architects. Therefore, it is conclusive to say that British architects are appreciated in overseas by the quality of their work and not for the cost (www.hughalderseywilliams.com).

According to professor Peter Clegg, “At the end of the century both British architecture and British engineering are beginning to re-establish themselves, and many 'signature' architects have emerged who produce extremely high quality work abroad despite the fact that they have been given little opportunity in the UK.” (Clegg, 1999), he considers that opportunities for British architects to build in UK are not attractive in comparison with the offers from other countries